Stirrings and Stories

The Fox and the Child

2012-02-10T23:38:00.001-05:00

After losing nearly half our chicken flock (latest evidence now points to the neighbor's dogs, sadly, and not the fox or coyote...but we'll never really know for sure) I felt like it was time to embrace the existence of our furry co-residents.

To honor of Middlest's love of foxes I thought we should start there. And our family promptly fell in love with, The Fox and the Child. It is rated G, but I must say there is a very violent scene towards the end (a natural consequence of the girl trying to make a pet of the fox), so I wouldn't recommended it for the 8 and under set. Kate Winslet narrates the otherwise (nearly) wordless film and it has the wonderful feel of another of my favorite kid movies, Fairy Tale: A True Story. All of us wanted to move right into the girl's fantastical home, complete with a Hobbit-like window and hammock in her attic bedroom.

I had to bite my tongue a few times to keep from reminding the kids that wild animals are never to be approached, much less pet...but in the end I think the movie did a good job of it while letting us come along on the fantastical journey of what it would be like to be best friends with a fox.

Sneaky Fox

2012-02-06T09:52:00.000-05:00

So, remember how we were all atwitter about the coyote?

Yeah. Well, this is how nature works: while you're looking out for the coyote the fox attacks. Thankfully A) we were home B) we heard the God-awful shrieking and C) Hubby was able to spook the fox so it dropped the chicken. Many hearts pounded fast.

Poor chicken survived, barely. Into the garage she went to recover until we could release her back into the flock. Which she did and she was.

Now we know to be on the lookout for foxes and coyotes...and maybe bobcats. Why not be prepared.

PS--I'm excited to announce another giveaway coming soon! The details are being worked out now, so check back.

UPDATE: Sneaky Fox/Coyote has struck again (that was quick). We're now down 14 chickens.

I can see it in my head like a scene from a Godfather-type movie: Inside family is eating their spaghetti, adults drinking red table wine, listening to Pagliacci (okay, it was That's Amore); cut to outside the coop where meanwhile a clever night hunter has snuck into the coop (uh, yeah, we got so involved with dinner that we didn't get it closed up after the chickens went in to roost at dark...might have been that table wine) and as the strains of "Vesti la Giubba" reach it's tragic peak the coop becomes filled with a cloud of feathers...cut back to clueless family inside.

Sigh. What was that about being prepared?

I guess that was the real lesson here. There is no preparing for what comes. That and make sure to shut the dang coop doors at night.

Free Valentines

2012-02-02T08:28:00.002-05:00

Remember her? She's done it again. Free downloadable Valentines! Not just one set to choose from, but four! She's made her previous year's Valentines available for free as well. Go send Secret Agent Josephine some LOVE.

ps--if you want more of her artwork her three picture books are available on Amazon.

Coyote

2012-01-27T09:30:00.000-05:00

**not my photo, btw.

This was staring at me yesterday.

Right by our mailbox.

This does not bode well for my chickens.

My daughter said she saw a coyote just a week ago in our yard (very close to our chicken coop).

It was Saturday morning before the rest of us were up. Her fox loving brother, Middlest, confirmed that her description did indeed match that of a coyote (and not a fox). Hubby and I kept a thin thread of hope alive that perhaps she'd seen a mangy, wolfish dog.

Later I showed her pictures on the internet of coyotes and foxes. She was sure it was a coyote.

Fast forward to this sighting. She and I were in the car on our way out (it's a small drive to our rural mailbox) when I saw it. She was right.

I couldn't help it. My first reaction was "Oh my, you're so beautiful!" and not "Stay the F away from my chickens!!"

He stared at me warrily for five minutes...me inching along in the car as he took a step. No way was I going to let him get between me (in the car) and the coop. This time.

We've been warned. The coyote will be back.

And the Winner is...

2012-01-26T21:00:00.001-05:00

Andrea!

I had to laugh when I saw the result of the Random Number Generator as she just mentioned me in her post. So glad you got your day of peace. Now for some house fairies to show up and leave you dinner without having to clean up!

I enjoyed everyone's version of their perfect day whether it be hanging with friends, relaxing or gathering round a shared meal. May you all get to enjoy that soon!

Cheer Mail II

2012-01-23T18:28:00.000-05:00

Inspired by this post and all the fun mail going into the mailbox recently, my daughter wanted to send some cheer mail of her own.

She picked out some of her extra markers and made up a template for a "Make Your Own Book" to include inside (rather than a coloring sheet). Title, characters, chapters...oh, my, that warmed my heart!!

We added a label and stamps...and popped it in the mail!

***Psst...don't forget to enter the giveaway! I'll pick a winner this Thursday***

First Ever Giveaway!

2012-01-19T09:00:00.000-05:00

Photo from BuyOlympia.com

I feel like it's about time. Before this blog started two years ago I had another blog Town & Country Mouse. Some of you readers have been with me since the begining and I'm ever so grateful you've kept up with my journey. The rest of you, thank you from the bottom of my heart for joining me now!

Many of you are already familiar with the artist Nikki McClure; I've seen her calendars and journals featured on many blogs. I adore her work and have her 2012 calendar hung up and the 2011 one stashed for some future craft upcycling. I also love her Remember and Things to Make and Do journals too.

Long story, but I have two copies of How to Cook the Perfect Day on my hands and I want one of you, precious readers, to have one of them!
For those of you not familiar with her work she uses an x-acto knife to cut her designs into paper! This sweet little book is part cookbook (with recipes for things like Midnight Morning Biscuits and Celestial Apple Pie) and part narrative.

On to the giveaway! Please leave a comment telling me something about what your perfect day would look like...right now mine would involve snow, hot cocoa, a lusty fire in the fireplace, a clean house (ie nothing to distract me) and me curled up under blankets with a good book! I will pick a commenter at random on January 26th!

Cheer Mail

2012-01-17T20:16:00.002-05:00

Way, way back...before texting, or heck, even before personal phones became the norm for teens, my best friend and I came up with the idea of Happy Pills. No, no, not actual pills. Little notes. Anything really, that could be printed on a sheet of notebook paper and folded (and folded, and folded) until it resembled a tight little half inch square. My friend had it down to an exact science, mine never looked as neat as hers.

We would each write (and fold and fold), stockpiling an entire jar full and then exchange them with strict instructions to only open one as needed (such as if we had to endure an entire weekend without contact--can you imagine? The horror!).

The jar itself, full of unread notes just waiting to be unfolded, gave me such a powerful feeling. Like I held the antidote for anything life threw my way. Sometimes they were silly things: acrostics, word searches, ransom note-style letters. Other times heartfelt outpourings, as teen girls are wont to do.

I feel the same way about my mailbox. Just one personal letter or card inside and it turbocharges my whole day!

While my sister is stuck at home recovering from some minor surgeries I thought I would send her some "Happy Pill" cheer via mail since I am not close at hand to bring her dinners or keep her company.

Inspired by the 13 oz or less idea and this post I made up some of my own "happy mail." Starting today I will drop one item in the mailbox a day.

I can't wait to hear if the goodies arrive intact!

In case you're interested, from left to right:

1) Cardboard tube (re-purposed one that held wrapping paper) = latest gossip rag
2) Cone of cotton candy...crazy, right? How could I not try?
3) Heart shaped Peeps (her favorite candy)
4) DVD of one of my favorite shows Coupling
5) Cards and notes from the kids and me

What is the craziest thing you've mailed (or received in the mail)?

Kings Day

2012-01-06T17:54:00.001-05:00

Did you celebrate on January 6th? I have always loved Epiphany (also associated with Twelfth Night or Little Christmas). As a child our church celebrated with a potluck supper and fun cookies with lucky trinkets baked inside.

As a parent I was unsure of how to continue this tradition with my own family. We are not church-goers (that could be a post for later).

Our candle spiral, used for birthdays...
and because it holds twelve candles Epiphany.
Wooden Kings from here.

What I really love is how this day could be set aside from all the hustle and merriment of Christmas (and the grace of Santa's magic...though I reckon and hard core believers could achieve this by celebrating Santa only on St. Nicholas' Day).

We don't open gifts as some families might, on Kings Day we just let the calm and peace of the end of the Christmas season (after all it is the twelfth day of Christmas) to settle in.

I use this day to tell my children about the Nativity story. But for the first time this year we also discussed the significance of bringing the light (which is in such short supply during the winter months) from within and sharing with others.

"When Christmas arrives, a turning point is reached.

The light increases, days grow longer and nature reawakens.

So the birth of the light at Christmastime has been celebrated since

the times when the light became the symbol

of revelation in the world and man." --Rudolf Steiner

Borrowing the idea of an advent spiral from the Waldorf tradion we made a smaller version on our back patio.

We went outside and lit the big three kings candle (featured in our the bird bath in the above photo).

Then each of us took our own candle and walked to the center of the evergreen spiral. We lit our candle from the center candle and then walked (slowly, carefully!) out with our light.

My boys got a first hand lesson in literally sharing their light...the wind snuffed out one brother's candle just as his brother finished his walk.

Afterwards there were homemade cupcakes (as I've never cared for any of the fruit and nut versions of kings cake I've seen or tasted)...one with a special king baked inside!

If you celebrated please leave a comment. I would love to know what you did...

Sharing the light with you this season!

Be Mindful

2012-01-05T10:53:00.001-05:00

As this is the season of resolutions I find myself thinking about fitness and financial goals.

What is it that makes us loose our resolve mere weeks, days or hours after they are made? Where do we tend to get stuck?

Well, for me, I get mired down by the mandatory recording of things. Virtually every decent plan which promises to get us back on track requires some sort of tallying, of taking stock.

Want to improve your finances, stay on budget or get out of debt? Keep track what comes in and what goes out.

Want to lose weight or improve your diet? Track what goes in and make a note of both when and why.

I am a natural list maker. I love journals and little notebooks! In fact, I carry one with me at all times. Okay, true, not while walking the dog.

But there's something about these tracking requirements that trip me up every time.

Part is the effort of it. Do I really want to take the time to log in every stinking M&M I snitch from the candy dish from the kitchen on the way to my office?

Part is the self-inflicted judgment and emotion that gets attached like plaque to the raw numbers. I mean, if the number at the end of our spending column is way larger than the number at the end of the saving column…well, that should be useful information. Right? It shouldn't send me into a death spiral of self-loathing and humiliation which requires numbing myself with multiple cups of Starbucks and retail therapy.

I started thinking about why this freaking tracking step seems to be so mandatory to just about every "fool proof" recovery plan. Why it's even touted to be NECESSARY OR YOU WON'T SUCCEED in sticking with your resolution.

It's not the numbers themselves, though they can give us valuable information if looked at objectively. Stay with me.

It's the necessary act of mindfulness that record keeping forces us into. Or, the pause to reflect, if you will. Without mindfulness, nothing changes. We get stuck in the loop, the same rinse cycle again. It's easier not to record. Not to see. Turn a blind eye to the status quo. That way we get to keep snitching M&Ms and go shopping all we want.

But to keep your resolve, you must pause in the moment. Stop yourself. Reflect. Be mindful of where you are. Choose where you go next.

That's right. Pause and choose. That's what all that darned record keeping helps us do (besides creating the bigger picture, statistically speaking).

Welcome to 2012. Take a minute and choose. This is gonna be our year!

**don't forget to check back for my first ever give-a-way**

...and here's to a wonderful 2012!

2011-12-29T16:52:00.001-05:00

Hope you are all busy enjoying your holiday festivities. Merriment abounds here.

But, I wanted to pop by to wish you all a FANTASTIC NEW YEAR in case, like me, you are quickly checking-in during those delicious in-between moments of quiet.

Also, I wanted to let you know that as January marks Stirring and Stories' second anniversary I am going to host my first ever give-away! Stay tuned...

Calling all Secret Agents...

2011-12-03T23:33:00.001-05:00

Do you know or have a little Spy ready to uncover fun with numbers, ABCs, or colors? Have I got some fun for you!

Blogger, Brenda Ponnay, aka Secret Agent Josephine has, count 'em, three new picture books out (perfect for your e-reader if you do that sort of thing).

Hop on over to Secret Agent Josephine's blog to follow her alphabetical 26 blog/book tour. There's even a cool contest with hidden clues in each of the blogs.

And, while there is no hidden clue in this blog...I do have something secretly special for you from Secret Agent Josephine...

Me being trying to be bookishly Secret Agent-ish

...a 26 page coloring book (in pdf form) to share just with you! Send me an e-mail (jennavvz at gmail dot com) and it's yours.

Monkey’s Breath

2011-12-02T13:31:00.001-05:00

Ed note: I'm reposting this today for my friend Nancy.

I wrote this piece five years ago and posted it to my old blog, but here it is again:

I know he's in good hands. I did my research well. The medical staff greets us warmly, addressing my seven-year-old son directly.

I stare at the wall-mounted TV in our holding room, so as not to scare him. I want to lay down on the gurney beside him; stroke his soft, blonde hair, stroke his arm, and squeeze his hand. But I fear these acts of reassurance will spook him more.

His words from the night before find their way back into my head, "What if I don't wake up?" Whatever I said, must have reassured him. My son's face reveals none of the gut-wrenching worry I feel now.

Resetting his elbow from a playground fall is not brain surgery, yet it's delicate and painful enough to justify general anesthesia. Though I would never dream of forcing my son to undergo the manipulation his cracked bone without the anesthesia, in the face of it the risk terrifies me.

The Real Disasters show on the TV rattles him more than what's going on around him: blood pressure cuff clicking and puffing, pulse oximeter close-pinned to his finger, his stomach growling. Nurses and aides come swishing in and out of his room. He endures all, placidly.

At last the anesthesiologist comes in with a child-sized mask. My own breath leaves me for a moment.

"What will it feel like, going under?" my small son asks. I am relieved to have a doctor here to answer his weighty questions. He is in good hands, I repeat to myself, feeling a relinquishment seep in.

"It will smell like monkey's breath," the doctor says like he's answering my son's very own popsicle-stick joke. Already, they have a mysterious bond. Satisfied, my son relaxes and so consents to being ushered into the operating room like a prince on his palanquin.

I am immediately lost without him, my heart disappearing down the hall along with his bed as if tethered, another IV. This was a mistake, my insides scream.

In his absence I let my mind play with the words, "monkey breath," but I don't make the connection. I know you will wake up, is my mantra now. He is in good hands.

On the way out to the waiting room, my eyes mist up with the answer…it will smell like bananas. With the same child-like trust, I relax a little. We are in good hands.

A Mother's Response

2011-11-10T09:05:00.001-05:00

Thank you so much for all the kinds words on my Autumn piece.

My parents both expressed saddness after reading the words I wrote. More over the fact that their "baby" was getting older than anything else.

So, I thought I'd post my mother's thoughts today.

No, no autumn isn’t calling you yet.
You forget
there’s Indian Summer.
That’s what your sisters, the trees,
of vibrant colors and dancing leaves
are telling you.
You’re in in the prime of life
where your strife
comes from growing children’s needs
of comfort, nourishment and learning
as they are yearning
to soak up the season's stories as they go quickly by.
You must try
to push autumn away
and stay in the glorious of each day.
--Mom

Indian Summer, I like that. But it's okay, I'm kinda digging Autumn now.

Falling for Autumn

2011-11-07T08:57:00.000-05:00

My sisters, the trees, have lots to whisper to me these days. There is a buzz, a growing thrum. I can feel it in the charged up air. The slanted sun is more precious, the earth's last greens more emerald.
My sisters, the trees, are hosting the party to which I am finally invited.
I am slow to recognize autumn as my season—the middle age of nature. Oh the taut, supple bodies of youthful summer! How I still try to reside in your ripe fullness where I no longer belong. At the end of each summer I die a little more.
The autumn of my youth was the rustle and crackle of brittle dry husks clamoring for attention beneath my boots. I did not know enough to look up at the show. Autumn was the effusive, wildly-dressed Aunt who arrived for dinner last minute and pinched too hard at your cheeks.
But each passing year as summer recedes into the place where faded pleasant memories go I am awestruck by the exultant, robust beauty of autumn. Pomegranate red, chartreuse, sun soaked yellow, blaze orange; fireworks within arm's reach!
Now the harvest has been brought in; my babies reared and put up in school. Spring and all her girl-like fresh beauty is long gone having been parched and stretched by summer's fruitful growth. No more does heaviness pull at my stems; no more supporting, holding, ripening fruit. Autumn is here. Suddenly Spring's delicate hues pale in comparison. My sisters, the trees, are burning up the roadside all vamp and glow, tossing their saucy bowers in the newly crisp breeze.
My sisters, the trees, they speak to me. They play with my hair, shot through now with sparkling silver. A chill creeps into the air; a change is neigh. Too soon winter's harsh winds will push-pull all into stripped spare starkness.
But for now the cooler air is but a lover's kiss; there is still time to shake, for merriment. I feel Autumn's pulse singing beneath my skin; alive, alive, alive!
Watch me burn, flame red. Feel my blaze. I am radiance waving at you, bold, the sun's own energy stored in my leaves.
My sisters, the trees, welcome me. I belong here. And if you see me, crushed leaves in my hair, it is because I'm sucking the marrow from fall—my new season.
Welcome to the party.

2011-11-01T12:18:00.000-04:00

"It's the first day of November and so, today, someone will die." How's that for an opening line? You may remember I blogged about Maggie Stiefvater before.

Well, here is her new book. It is completely different in tone from her Wolves of Mercy Falls (Shiver, Lingert & Forever) series. There are fantastical water horses and obviously a race (a deadly one). But, there is also a bit of romantic spark to keep things hopeful.

The film rights to the book have already been purchased.

Just the right thing to celebrate the first of November. Now go make yourself some November Cakes and happy reading!

Ed note: This just in from Maggie...use this November Cake recipe instead. Just as she edits her manuscripts, she tinkers with her recipes and apparently she greatly prefers her new and improved version. Can't wait to try it. Let me know if you do. Enjoy!

Golden, you are, October

2011-10-24T13:24:00.001-04:00

Staring down the week of Halloween already! The leaves are just starting to turn here in Virginia. The 20+ baby chicks we ordered at the end of summer are big enough to comingle with our older birds. The bald eagles keep tabs on the river (and thankfully not the coop) from their oak tree in our backyard. Foxes have been sighted trotting on the property.

What is going on in your neck of the woods?

Shake, Rattle & Roll

2011-08-24T12:35:00.006-04:00

For you few readers who don't know, I live in rural Virginia. Not too far, it turns out, from the site of yesterday's historic earthquake.

Now, I have to say, we residents of this particular rural area are quite used to the ground shaking and loud thunderous crashing sounds from ordinance exploding from Quantico, Dahlgren, or even A.P. Hill.

That said. Yesterday was scary.

We are all fine. No damage to the house (well, some cracks in the wall got larger) or the surrounding area (a massive tree down blocked a main road making us late for a doctor appt. but delays don't count as damage).

I had just hung up with Hubby and was standing at our kitchen sink when I heard a terrible rumbling...for a moment I wondered if the washing machine was malfunctioning on the rinse cycle and was going to "walk" right off the raised platform to crash through the ceiling...which was right over where I was standing. Instinctively, I raced outside the house.

It was as I passed through our sliding glass doors and saw the solid locust posts (each buried a good 6-8 feet deep) of our pergola swaying that I first thought...Earthquake!

My next thought was to locate my kids who were outside playing. They felt it too, but were no where near as concerned as I was. Oldest reported that it sounded like the air conditioning had gone into overdrive and was getting ready to explode.

Then it was over.

After, I did something I never do. I let my boys hang out with me on Facebook as we watched the reports come in that it was indeed an earthquake and that it was felt all up and down the East Coast.

I was able to contact Hubby on his cell before all the service went out.

We put back up the three small pictures that fell from their perch on the wall and were left to absorb the mental aftershocks.

For a few minutes. Then it was back to our regularly programed show.

For Marina

2011-08-01T09:00:00.005-04:00

A blog acquaintance recently posted on Facebook about the difficulty of coping when the love of your life steps out of the country for travel. As my own Hubby just returned from a week in Japan I felt my own heart go out to her.

But not just her. To the dear Marine family we know who weathered the absence of husband/father for over a year. To my SIL who regularly deals with her pilot hubby who travels most weeks of each month.

For all the many military families who do the same.

I've been lucky. Hubby doesn't travel much anymore.

When we met he was in the Merchant Marines and sailed every few months. After we started a family he found a land job.

Shortly after our last child was born the war in Kuwait started and he sailed again for four miserably long months. Not nearly as long as most military families are used to. But long for us civilians. We didn't live on a base or have access to any spouse/family support that the armed forces get. Did I mention I was home alone with three babies under three years old? That is for another blog post. Suffice to say I was nursing one round the clock and still changing three sets of dirty diapers.

All of which lead me to the most FAQ, "How do you do it?"

My stock answer is always, "Not well, my friend, not well."

But I've learned some things over the last 18 years:

Acceptance. Travel is fun, exciting, (sometimes) glamorous, (sometimes) dangerous…and your partner is leaving with a mission. You are left to hold the fort down. It sucks, but someone has to do it. Also, you will have to continue to hold the fort down as soon as they return, because travel is also exhausting, frustrating and tiresome and they will want to sleep until the last of the children are safely snoring in their beds.
Keep your focus on the here and now as much as possible when with your kids. It was self-indulgence, I now realize, to mope around heartsick for my boyfriend/fiancé/newly minted husband all the time. When you're the sole parent on duty you're forced to keep calm and soldier on.
Rhythm. Rhythm. Rhythm. It is so very reassuring to the rest of the family to have the days continue in a predictable fashion. I've found that this, more than stiff upper lip-ped-ness from trying to keep everything ridiculously normal, is key to keeping the Littles (and not so Littles) calm and worry-free. For example, you might mark the days Daddy's gone with an X on a calendar or a paper chain but then move on to notice that today is Tuesday which is Library Day--hooray! Mama, feel free to do your worrying in #4.
Support. Lean in hard on those awesome chickas/mamas in your life. Whether it's via text, voice-to-voice or (the very best if you can manage getting a sitter/playdate) face-to-face don't forget to let other's help you. Sometimes it's just a much needed laugh (right when your world seems full of "no!s"), or a venting session, or even a glass of wine.
Let go and do something fun. Just because the whole family isn't together doesn't mean you have to feel stuck in your old routine. I know what I said in #3. But rhythm is much larger than simply a schedule to adhere to. Try having a "Yes" day, or do something goofy or out of the ordinary. Make this time an adventure for the rest of you too, not a period of time you must endure. Remember, you will also have to hold the fort down when they return as well, so don't burn yourself out trying to keep things normal while there's only one of you at the helm.

Hubby is asleep upstairs, as I type this. My house is a total wreck: toilets need to be scrubbed, every chair has an abandoned pile of books on it, the floor is littered with plastic wrapping from Pokeman cards and Hello Kitty—presents from Japan.

I'd like to invite my in-laws for dinner but the sink is full of breakfast dishes and tabletop is concealed by the Sunday paper and a military strategy game which has 50,000 pieces. The kids have been parked in front of the TV all morning (normally a very limited treat).

I am the only one holding the fort down, just like I did all week. But we all made it. I am grateful he was gone only a week. That he made it back in one piece and healthy.

And if you have a spouse that travels…my heart goes out to you too.

Respect your Mother

2011-07-30T12:59:00.002-04:00

Loving this post from the Rhythm of the Home blog about keeping the wonder in parenting. Bringing nature alive for your child and family. Literally, keeping it real. There are more posts in the Eat-Play-Learn series...all fantastic and thought-provoking reads. Check it out.

Well, Shiver me timbers...Linger a while won't you? This contest won't last Forever you know

2011-05-02T22:34:00.005-04:00

Dear Mags (because that is what I'll call you when we're BFFs)

Can you believe I live "in The Middle Of Nowhere, VA" too?

I've thought about it a lot (and not in a stalkerish sort of way…really) you could be living right in my backyard (or maybe I live in your backyard? Who moved here first??).

Imagine my shock seeing you profiled in our local (i.e. small…like only published once a week small) newspaper! That's exactly how I pictured my author interview (except maybe with a higher resolution photo).

I have big plans for us backyard neighbors once we're BFFs, Maggers (Is that nickname too close to Maggots? Dang, 'cause I was kinda liking that one):

Our Littles can run around the beach looking for sharks teeth and experience benign neglect together until they get all Lord of the Flies and we have to save our files and finally get up out of the hammocks.
Our Hubbys can commiserate over a homebrew on what it's like to be married to a writer and otherwise insane person (oh, oops, my bad, maybe that's just our family).
We'll debate the merits of Food Lion vs Giant when we both know that Wegmans kicks ass.
See which of our dogs is the best chicken hunter.
Discuss at length my phobia of driving over that two lane bridge to Maryland and if you also say "the bridge to nowhere" when you really mean the overpass to all the really big stores.
Talk about the long drive into town and compare notes for the best places to pull over when you you get those awesomesauce ideas along the way. I am scary good at writing while driving (my eyes never leave the road, promise…and I can usually read 80% of what I've written).

See? Good times.

Oh, and I promised you that I'd include a trailer for your new book coming out this July (not that I need to do that in order to get any swag from you seeing as we're BFFs and all…seriously, that would be awkward, right?).

Right.

Order an autographed copy of the book here http://www.fountainbookstore.com/autograph-maggie

Your newest BFF,

Jenna

On Being A Thief

2011-04-27T00:02:00.001-04:00

Why is writing so hard? Or is it really that hard? For me now it's more about carving out time to write. "Steal time to write," says the guru.

Often "stealing" time feels delicious, secretive, and powerful.

But more often it feels less like stealing than trading away something precious for that time. It feels like sacrifice. I have the whole rest of my life to write…why must I do it all now?

And that stolen time can be brutally humiliating, like when strangers come to visit eyes sweeping the house, drinking up the dirt and disarray. And I'm left feeling caught naked, exposed in my own house.

So, yeah, I'm a writer. Please excuse the mess. What's that? No, I've not been published. Well, except for that poem in Baby Bug nearly a decade ago, and then there's that poem Highlights High Five purchased but hasn't published yet. And then there's my blog, but I don't get to update that much either, and you probably aren't a blog reader. What? Oh, a blog is a…*sigh* no, never mind.

Pants-down exposed.

There will always be that "proving yourself to others" part, even as a published writer. It's the constant proving it to yourself (never mind the patient Hubby and wildly supportive children—just yesterday my Littlest handed me a poster ripped from her American Girl magazine. "Here Mommy, you can hang this in your office." I pretend it's because there were horses galloping in a field--we like horses. It said, "Chase your dreams!") which is so hard.

Proving it to yourself means stealing time despite the odds, despite the incredible mess in the house, despite all the very wonderful opportunities to volunteer, despite the fact that both the dog and I haven't had a long walk yet today.

I wonder how others do it. Not novelists, I understand we are a crazy messed up breed, but journalists, writers earning their living… I imagine them so overcome with passion by a simple idea/story that they willingly deny themselves lunch, lovers, clean clothes (though in my mind they always look amazing in their uniform of crisp white shirt—which looks equally amazing when rumpled—and tan pants, simple straight hair--which would never ever need flat ironing—hair that always looks professional, playful, yet practical, pulled back into a ponytail). In my mind, those people are too involved to notice the sacrifice in giving up the "little things" that my life seems to be made of.

Long walks with my dog

Dinner every night with the kids and Hubby

Breakfast for everyone before work/school

Gathering food from our own garden

(I'm sensing the importance of food here, are you? Possibly explains the need for long walks with the dog)

Sheets line-dried in the sun

Gathering eggs from the coop

Watching our chickens like a hawk so the hawks don't get them

Don't feel sorry for me. I love my life. That is the problem. I love it so much I don't always want to steal time away from it to write.

Some would say, so don't write then. If it's not urgent than ignore it.

But it is an act of necessity for me. I went the entire Easter break without writing and I could feel the words damming up inside. I had to take deep breaths while family was here…loving the opportunity to hang out with "people" and also craving—no, desperately needing—the time alone to let it all out.

And now it feels delicious again. Words exquisitely free. My soul full up, warm and melty.

And so I carry on soul-full-ly with the dog walking and the meal making and the laundry. I have time, I kid myself.

Until the words dam up yet again. And it feels so right to steal.

Simple

2011-04-07T23:11:00.003-04:00

Come join the book discussion taking place here. We'll read a chapter at a time and discuss in the comments section or over on Facebook. This is the same book I was talking about in this post.

Son Salutation

2011-03-26T18:09:00.002-04:00

Love this quote, "Parenting will stretch your soul like a yoga pose you can't get out of."
From The Parenting Passageway, my go-to source for general mama wisdom and understanding Waldorf education.

Forward March

2011-03-21T08:53:00.003-04:00

The sky has cleared enough that it looks like daylight again. Droplets of rain still make expanding circles in puddles. The eagles cry "he-he-he-hee" to each other from the bare branches of our giant oak.

Soon I will have to take our dog out for a longer walk. The chickens will need to be let out and eggs collected. Storm or not the day must march on.

Slow Cooked Chicken Soup

2011-03-10T18:13:00.001-05:00

I know many of you are already big time crockpot fans. But as we're fighting yet another round of viruses here I thought I'd share my new found fascination for slow cooked chicken soup.

Chicken noodle was the last of the canned soups that I kept on hand in the pantry. It is both a kid favorite and a quick fix for my babes when they are feeling ill. My recent compromise, ever since I started making homemade broth, was to drop a cube of frozen broth (sometimes I'd freeze it in 1 cup portions in my muffin tin) into the condensed can version as I heated it up…the best of both worlds.

But what I wasn't putting together was how much harder that crockpot could be working for me.

Nowadays I roast my whole chicken in the crockpot (rinse the bird—set aside that packet of giblets, neck, etc. for the broth--cover with a little butter or oil, sprinkle with salt, rosemary, thyme, dill, garlic--or stuff with whole garlic cloves--and stuff with a quartered onion. Cook as directed. Pour off drippings to make gravy if desired.)

After dinner I dump the remaining carcass back into the crockpot (that you haven't rinsed out yet) and cover with water. Add any veggies you have on hand (ends of carrots, tops of celery—more garlic or onion if you wish), add the neck/giblets/gizzard or whatever came packaged inside the cavity of the bird. Let this simmer overnight on low.

Next morning I strain out the broth. I dump the remainder onto a huge cutting board and if you haven't already reserved meat…pull aside the meat now. It should be perfect for soup now.

I have the best memories of my father bending over a holiday turkey carcass after dinner. His dress-shirt sleeves rolled up to his forearm and his big hands covered with bits of turkey as he diligently set aside enough meat for several more meals. I always think of him when I get to this point and my dogs press their noses up against my legs ever hopeful for a dropped bit. I picture my dad at my house during the holidays, just finished "picking the meat off the bone" bending down, hands outreached, letting my eager dogs lick his hands.

Now add the bite-sized meat back into the (still un-rinsed) crockpot. Depending on how much meat you have reserved and how much soup you want to make add back in some of your broth (freeze the rest). Break linguine into bite sized pieces and toss in. Now you can add whatever you want to your chicken soup to make it how you like it. I add chopped celery, if I have it on hand (if not a dash of celery seed), or something else green like green onion. Definitely garlic, as that is so good for colds, and we like it strong in our household. Sliced carrots. Season with salt, dill (it's our new garlic). Experiment to taste.

This also cooks on low. And is ready for dinner in just a few hours or you can keep on hand for later.

Viola. Slow cooked chicken soup. Now, you can wash that hardworking crockpot!!!

Letting Go

2011-03-06T21:34:00.002-05:00

One of the hardest parts of parenting for me (aside from sleepless nights and crying jags) is separating my own desires from those of my children. This came up over the weekend. My sister was visiting and in a moment of inspired assistance volunteered her help and her daughter's influence (she's eighteen…that's practically god-like when you're eight years old) in clearing the clutter from my daughter's room.

I'm a devotee of Kim Payne's Simplicity Parenting. And though I'd done a decent job keeping most of the excess at bay, there was no denying when looking at the Littlest's room that more could be done. Needed to be done. She was beyond able to tackle the job herself. She wasn't interested in my opinions. Enter Auntie MJ and Cousin R.

Knowing the Littlest's temperament and her insatiable desire for control we let her do the directing while we did the heavy lifting, so to speak. It was here that I found myself biting my tongue. Sucking in deep cleansing breaths. Counting to ten. Repeating my mantra, "less is really more."

Some of those things being summarily dismissed from her room were "mine." My toys/things that I'd oh so carefully chosen, saved for, ordered. Toys/things with value. Woody, earthy, soft, wooly, silky, warm, soothing, or otherwise "nutritious" things.

Breathe. Count to ten. Less is really more.

But I wanted the "less" to be what I chose to be less. Not what she chose. Here's some of what's left: dozens of gaudy looking little stuffed animals crammed into a wicker basket (another day's fight), tiny plastic animals with giant heads and their various abodes, all that American Girl stuff (oh, how I longed for her to be a Waldorf doll carrying rebel), plastic doll furniture for miniature fuzzy rodents, miniature fuzzy rodents.

Now, I don't want to get into a debate over what toys are of value and which are not. Everyone has different opinions and I'm cool with that. My only point is that as of late I've tried to make sure the purchases I made were ones that didn't hurt the earth and were somewhat open-ended. She has free reign to buy what she wants with her allowance and keep what she gets as gifts. Where I was getting stuck was letting her let go of some of the toys that I thought were "good" for her. It was hard I tell you. But I let her.

Less is really more. No matter what is left behind, those are the things that have most meaning. I am not the one playing with her toys. And really the whole point of this was to free up some physical (and mental) space in her room to allow for more creative play and care (i.e. able to put her toys and books and clothes and hairclips put away).

A middle ground was struck for both mother and daughter. All things went into the basement. Purgatory. At some point I'll cull out the few precious things I can't live without and let go of the rest.

Low and behold we could see the carpet in her room. Breathing space. So worth it.

Littlest looks at me with a gleam in her eye, "I need a rug now Mommy." Always more.

Count to ten. Repeat.

Related reading--check this post out. It gave me the much needed strength and courage while "weeding."

I heart the internet

2011-02-24T21:25:00.001-05:00

Andrea over at Remains of The Day had a sweet and very generous giveaway which I won (I never win--don't you hate hearing that? It's true though).

The package could not have come at a better time.

I was in bed trying to recover from the flu when Hubby delivered the mail to me.

Best spirit lifter ever! It was full of homemade herbal love. And the fact that I happen to think Andrea is pretty amazing just made it all the more potent when I was curled up in a fetal position around the herbal eye pillow (pathetic, I know, but it made an awesome heating pad).

I poured through the herb book while in the throes of my delirium but I hope to get back to it soon. Please do check out her post ...the tea she put together is delicious!! I wish you could taste it. I will be making more of this when mine runs out.

Even the enclosed photo card was made by her (the heart-shaped rock and snow). It now graces my office with some other handmade hearts (from last February's Valentine swap).

Alas, the Dagoba chocolate bar didn't make it to the photo shoot. Suffice to say as soon as I recovered that was a goner.

Meet "Dinner"

2011-02-22T11:03:00.003-05:00

This is our dear rooster, "Dinner." I thought you should meet.

The name, you ask?

Ahem.

Well, back in the Spring of '10 we ordered 30 chicks (all layers) and over the summer as we watched them grow from adorable Easter-peeps to feathered out pullets (official chicken farmer word for teenage female chickens) we couldn't help but notice one feathered friend looked a bit, well, male.

"Do not name him!" I implored the kids. We did not want a rooster. They are noisy. And, I don't think I have to tell you, they don't lay eggs.

Time went by and we considered our options. Hubby and I were not above turning him into chicken enchiladas. We'd helped "process" chickens at a friend's house before ordering our own. We knew how to do it. We called him "Dinner." Part joke. Part reminder.

More time went by. I did some surfing, I mean research, on-line and discovered that roosters can help keep his flock of hens safe, healthy and happy. We decided to go with it. If you know otherwise we do not wish to hear of it.

He is still called "Dinner." But considering he's the only dude in a flock of 23 (it's been a rough fall) hens we should rename him "Lucky."

The Golden Book

2011-02-08T10:59:00.001-05:00

So, Hubby walks into the kitchen and pronounces, "New rule. No more 4-1-1 calls from cell phones."

At first my brain heard "9-1-1" and "cell phone" and was formulating an appropriate disciplinary strategy for the kids when all of a sudden it ground to a halt…FOUR-one-one.

Wait. What?

"They're charging us $2 a call for directory assistance. " Uh-oh. Only one of us uses that modern convenience on the road. The other insists on finding room for a three inch thick telephone book under the front seat of his car.

"You're going to have to look it up yourself from now on." Right. I can do that.

Hubby doesn't believe me, but I even have a phone book in my car—though, not technically in the front seat. And it's one of those abbreviated one-inch small sampler-size ones. Which is the only way it could fit in the back pocket of the front seat without cutting out three inches of passenger leg room.

Now I just have to use it.

Really, which is easier? Pressing three buttons on your phone (yup, my cell phone is so old it has buttons). Or pulling off to the side of the road, digging through who knows what leftover Cherios/chewing gum/melted crayons under the seat of your car only to try and guess how the phone company hid the name of the number you're looking for.

With 4-1-1 I can simply say "Spotsylvania, Virginia" and "Dr. Rosewater" and the number will be dialed. With a phone book you would first have to look up "Doctors" and then…FAIL.

There is no "Doctors" listing. This is why I HATE looking things up myself. While I'm simultaneously assuring the kids that nothing is wrong, no we can't unbuckle yet, yes, we'll be there soon I must also engage my brain in a ridiculous word game. Nope "Dr. Rosewater" is under "PHYSICIANS" how silly of me. I should have been looking under P not D. Because doesn't everyone say, "I have a physicians appointment tomorrow?"

Seriously, Phone Book People, that kind of word play is why crosswords were invented.

Now I feel stupid, we've lost ten minutes, and I have three very annoyed kids in the car.

But, I will do it. Even I agree $2 a query for something I can do myself is waaaay too much.

Secretly, I wonder if it will make me morally superior in some way--to retain this skill most people have passed by and consider irrelevant. What if there's a disaster and no one can use cell phones? I will be quick as lightening to race to the phone book. The Phone Book Hero to the rescue!

Besides, with all that money I'm saving looking things up myself I can finally update my phone.

And then, looking up numbers…?

Meh, there's an app for that.

Take a Time Out and Call Me in the Morning

2011-01-26T10:50:00.002-05:00

If I liked numbers at all I'd post the number of days since my last blog entry. But liking numbers so often leads to stronger stuff; like doing math.

I prefer to do paragraphs.

So I'm diving back in.

And it's about time.

Really. As in, don't underestimate time's power to heal. We rush and hurry and want solutions now. So often over the last ten months I was tempted to stop waiting around and try surgery. I did my share of cortisone shots and physical therapy too. But time, that was the ultimate cure-all. I think perhaps my good doctor knew this, but he let me know the choice was always in my hands and he was willing to cut at my consent. So glad I chose to walk away. To let time do its thing.

Waiting for an injury to heal forces you to make decisions. Figure out what's really important now and what can wait. It helps pare down all the "I should" moments into "I could" moments so you can let some of them go. Letting go helps heal too. But it works best with time.

Back to paragraphs. Those take time too. Bear with me. I'm working on it.

Feeling this: I'm an English major. You do the math.

Summer Solstice

2010-06-21T08:58:00.000-04:00

I've been coveting something like this to hold our mealtime blessing for some time now. Not having a lot of room in the budget, I decided I would have to get creative.

I took myself on a nature walk with an eye towards sticks. Somewhat straightish sticks. About so big.

I found such a stick and went to my son's workbench (which was my grandfather's) and sawed it in half. Then sawed a groove along the top where the card would sit. Once that was done I polished it up with some beeswax and set it on the table.

Voila.

(Bear in mind I'm no carpenter. My last experience with a hacksaw was in HS woodshop class).

Next I wanted to streamline our mealtime blessings to just four. One for each season. I decided to paint some new cards too.

I chose golden yellow for Spring, green for Summer, warm reddish orange for Fall, and red with a starburst of yellow for Winter.
Clockwise from top: Spring, Summer, Winter & Fall blessing verses.

Today we will change our blessing for Summer, which reflects the abundance of our garden (and perhaps I should add a special thanks to Grandmommy and Hubby for keeping it going while I've been cast-bound). After Hubby gets home we'll have a sunset bonfire and s'mores.

Leave a comment with how you celebrate or a link if you've blogged about it. I'd love to read about how you've marked the turning of the wheel.

Happy Summer to you all!

Seven days to go...

2010-06-17T15:57:00.005-04:00

...before the cast comes off! Hooray!!

Until then here are some more photo updates:

Update in pictures

2010-06-02T15:11:00.007-04:00

Can't wait to fill you in on all the happenings over here. Still healing.

Wishing blessings to you all!

Still here...

2010-06-01T10:10:00.002-04:00

Just wanted to let you know about the wonderful giveaways happening over at Rhythm of the Home. If you haven't been over there yet, go check it out.
And thank you for all your kind words...staying off the keyboard is difficult for me. But only 3 1/2 more weeks to go!
<3

Ugh

2010-05-23T15:34:00.002-04:00

You know the dance...two steps forward, one step back.

My right arm is in a cast for the next month. Typing is slow to impossible (and I'm actually supossed to "rest" my right hand anyway) so posting will come to a halt for a while. Boo. :-( Just when I was having so much fun.

But I have a torn ligament to heal and surgery to avoid, so I'd better be good.

I'll still be around. Reading what all you have to say on your blogs. Maybe commenting, maybe not. But thinking of you all no matter what.

...and, with any luck I'll be back and posting soon!
<3

Wash Wednesday

2010-05-19T07:37:00.004-04:00

It's been cloudy and rainy here the last few days...I was feeling pretty uninspired to take a picture for Wash Wednesday until I remembered that in the Winter I hang some of our clothes to dry (bed sheets are too large for this obviously) in our master bedroom or where ever a little more humidity is required. Extra drippy stuff gets hung on the rack in the tub.

It takes a bit longer on those cooler, cloudy days for the clothes to dry, but dry they do. And I put some of my extras inside to dry on a rack.

Now, anyone have drying suggestions for bath towels? I am a sucker for machine dried fluffy towels (almost as much as line dried bed sheets!!)...how can I air dry them without making them stiff as a board??

Wash Wednesday

2010-05-12T19:30:00.000-04:00

There is a fun photo challenge going on over at GardenMama called Wash Wednesday. Pop on over and check it out.

Here is my entry...

a shot of our kitchen towels (which largely replace our paper ones), cloth napkins for the table and a black and white checkered napkin for the school lunch box. I love how line dried linens fold up so crisp and clean.

Pretty much these are the colors of my kitchen--watery blues and green. I love these colors, they remind me of the river (the ocean, actually, but we don't have an ocean in our backyard).

We are quite lucky to have a beach right at the bottom of our yard and I try to honor that as much as possible with the colors in the house and by bringing inside as much of our beach "finds" as possible. I have several driftwood sculptures (Mother Nature is a fine artist, if you ask me) adorning the walls of our house.

For me, this picture represents us: the river, bringing a bit of nature inside (if only in color) and making changes...letin' it all hang out.

Join in won't you? What have you got hanging out?

Mighty Oaks From Little Acorns Grow

2010-05-10T19:18:00.007-04:00

Over Mother's Day weekend I got to attend Acorn Hill's Spring Faire. It is a preschool and Kindergarten only. My Hubby and oldest (our 10 year old) were sceptical that anything there would hold the kids' attention. Let's just say none of the kids wanted to leave.

The play yard looked like this (see above) with natural logs to jump or sit on. There were windy paths to explore and a tiny butterfly bush arbor just right for little ones to crawl through.

The outdoor activities included this AWESOME (trust me, my picture does not do it justice) marble run created on a sand dune with zigzaging tracks of carved wood and halved bamboo and ended with a satisfying plonk in a buried bowl of water at the bottom.

And just look at the wood on their playset!!! The whole thing was that way.

Inside there was a marionette puppetshow (see the sweet doll?). I wish I'd gotten a picture of some of the classrooms too, but I was a bit intimidated. Also, the kids were having so much fun--which meant trying to go in three directions at once. The boys loved making the bark boats and wind wands inside as well.

What did I love the best? Besides getting my first peek inside a Waldorf school that is...

I loved the food! All home cooked. No hotdogs, juice boxes, sodas, chips, candy, blah, blah, yuck. Nope. Black beans and rice, yummy salads, soups, and oh yes, nutbutter and jelly sandwiches too. Just look at that big honkin' slice of homemade bread!!! "It's just like Mama makes kiddos!" They were unimpressed. But I was. Any other "fair" pj&j would no doubt mean Uncrustables.

I picked up a school cookbook (with recipes for some of those fabulous Spring Faire salads) and some handmade goodness as surprises for the kids.

It was a fun experience and now the kids and I can't wait until Potomac Crescent's Fall Festival!!!

Nice to meet you

2010-05-07T21:49:00.003-04:00

I just realized that there aren't any pictures of me on this blog...oops. I'm not hiding on purpose! But as is so often the case, the one taking the photos is left out of the picture.

Well, it so happened I needed Hubby to take a few pictures for me (because I'm indulging myself in this --Self, happy Mother's Day!)

The above is what I used, but I fancy this photo best:

Dont'cha love the red pickups in the background??

Small Change Wrap up and coop update

2010-04-29T12:29:00.012-04:00

Wow, the One Small Change challenge has come to an end and it's time to look back at how I did.

One change I thought I'd be making in the near future was washing all our dishes by hand. Hasn't happened yet as I'm still waiting (eagerly perhaps? That's a change right there) the death of our diva dish washing machine.

My next change was so easy that I only remember it when I write up these updates...no more Pam spray for my baking.

April's change was a bit harder for me. Buying only thrifted/second hand clothes for me. But fear not, I prevailed! And my wallet is only a little lighter to boot. I found two amazing skirts, a pair of cargo pants and one sweater tee. But I also gained two friends that confessed they liked thrift shopping as well. SCORE!

As I said before, I think our family already does a lot towards living lighter on the earth. But there are so many ways to make changes in how we live. I love how this challenge opened up my mind (which I previously thought was already pretty open--ha!) to stretch towards new ideas and not be complacent just because we have a few solar panels or don't use paper towels/napkins.

And on to the next change...chickens!! The chicks aren't here quite yet which is good as the coop isn't quite finished yet. But oh it's coming along nicely!

Let's take a sneak peek shall we?

Here is Hubby and my dad (PopPop...isn't he cute in his backwards baseball cap??)

See the windows on the roof? This is to allow more light in during the Winter and to hopefully encourage more egg laying during the dark days. Also see the wire inside? The whole coop is lined with wire (dug into the ground too) in the hopes that it will truly be predator proof. I'll keep you posted.
Lastly, I just had to show you this cute little window.

There is much more to be done, but it's looking good!!

I can hardly wait for our next adventure!

Happy Tuesday!

2010-04-27T11:50:00.001-04:00

Here's hoping some magic pops up in your day.

WIP: Quilted writing

2010-04-21T09:57:00.010-04:00

Work in Progress Wednesday:

In front of me I have a story I'm working on. The two main characters come from previous stories whose tales never got told (er, finished). I wrote the new story thinking all along that at some point I would just naturally weave in some parts of each of the old stories (converted from first to third person) and all would blend nicely. Ha!

So, I took a deep breath, grabbed my scissors, tape and extra copies of both manuscripts and brutally hacked away at sections that made sense to keep and taped them into a new story. It's still not a cohesive draft, but at least I have a clearer guide to go by when re-writing.

And it occurred to me, as I was working on the dining room table (I needed some serious elbow room) which also doubles as my sewing table, that I have been neglecting cutting into the fabric for my son's birthday quilt.

Though I've never made a quilt before, I'm convinced it was the mental gymnastics of learning how one makes a quilt that fostered the creative confidence to cut apart and quilt a new story from the "scraps" (sorry dear characters I do not really think of your stories as scrap...perhaps "ore" is a better word...but that requires a totally different metaphor).

A children's book author presenting at this year's Virginia Festival of the Book talked about how important she thought learning new art/crafting skills was to writing...she contended that even though she was not technically writing at the time her brain was still working on the process as she allowed her creativity to flow through other outlets.

I might have thought I was stuck, but figuring out how to quilt freed my brain to puzzle out how to best tell my characters' stories. Now I can only hope that my writing will similarly inspire me to put down my paper scissors for my fabric ones and get cutting!

Just Dandy!

2010-04-19T10:31:00.000-04:00

As promised, here is the recipe (if you can call it that--I just sort of throw this together) for Dandelion Fritters:

Another reminder: please only eat dandelions from an area that you KNOW has not been chemically treated and is away from the roadway. Plants, much like children, absorb everything around them.

First you will want to pinch off the green base from the petals (again, not a necessity--it's all edible--just a texture preference).

Next mix together some cornbread mix, eggs (I use about two small ones depending on how many flowers we have), chopped shallots--or use your wild onions, greek yogurt (or sour cream), 1/2 cup grated cheese, the dandelion petals. Add enough boiling water to make a thick pancake-like batter and fry in butter.
Cook on both sides like you would any other fritter...

Enjoy with a bit of maple syrup if you wish...or eat plain. Delish!!

And best of all you'll look at your yellow dotted lawn with new eyes...Food!

Now go eat your weeds!

Fairy Salad

2010-04-16T07:14:00.000-04:00

It's time to make Fairy Salad again!

These are pictures from last year that I previously posted here. Make sure you use weeds/wildflowers that have not been sprayed or from the side of the road. These came from our own front yard.

Going clockwise starting in the upper left: wild onions, redbuds, chickweed and wild cress, dandelions, wild violets, and pansies.
Soak the greens to remove any grit. Pinch off any pithy stems (this is more a texture preference than a necessity).
Toss together and enjoy!!!
For a light dressing you can mix 2 tablespoons of maple syrup with juice from 1/2 a lemon and top with chopped walnuts.

Enjoy!

Up next: what to do with those dandelions--make fritters!!

Not keeping up

2010-04-15T16:42:00.010-04:00

Ahh, remember how I mentioned about our schedule changing with Spring activities starting up? Yeah.

Here's the thing, three kids (aged 7 to 10)and multiple activities that have Hubby and I going three different directions at once three nights a week...not working for us. Well, to be more generous, it's taking us all a while to adjust.

Some of us more than others. As in myself and one of my children. I've noticed that I've been clinging more to the time aspect (i.e. Ack, it's 7pm and my 7 year old isn't getting ready for bed!!) as opposed to the routines and rituals (i.e. first we get into pjs, then we brush teeth, then it's storytime, then hugs & kisses). I've relaxed a bit myself, realizing that the times need to change temporarily (believe me we're not keep this pace up for long!)...but my Middlest son is showing signs of disturbance.

Kim Payne of Simplicity Parenting has written about Soul Fevers and how they can manifest when things get out of balance in a child's life (clutter, too many toys, too many activities, no sense of security at home). And how when this happens, much like a physical fever, it is a symptom of something else going on...and we as parents need to pay attention. Just as when our child is physically sick, we might opt to skip an activity or two, stay at home in pjs, cuddle up and read, circle the wagons, so to speak, around our little one and reaffirm that they are safe, secure and very much loved.

So, we are focusing on the now...clearing away the clutter in our life (while trying to muddle our way through games and practice and exercises).

Sometimes it helps to just look out the window and take a deep breath. And. Slow. Down.

Which reminds me of one of my favorite sayings:
Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.

Peace be with you.

April's One Small Change & Update

2010-04-07T18:56:00.006-04:00

I'm behind (so it goes) posting about how March's change went. The PAM is gone from my baking cabinet and I've not missed it.

One thing I observed: With the new energy of Spring and the kids' after school activities that start up again our rhythm changed. And I noticed that we bought more prepared food (i.e. chicken breasts, rather than the weekly roasting of a whole chicken; store bought bread rather than my homemade everyday). Which meant that I was not cooking from scratch as much and my whole meal planning made a subtle change. I no longer had leftover chicken, broth or even the paper (see March's change) from a whole stick of butter. And my menu shifted from the more frugal/organic "what can I make with what I have?" to "which recipe sounds good tonight?"

Maybe not a big sounding difference, but big enough that my own mindset shifted. Meal planning was more of a panicked chore rather than a nurturing part of my day. Okay, so a lot of that was the time constraints. What to serve that's quick and easy and will be ready when my family needs it?

So, what's a Mama to do? Well, I patted myself on the back for noticing the change at all (that means I was really on to something before) and then decided that a relaxed and forgiving make-do Mama does the best that she can and is happy with that. Can I get a "heck, yeah"?

As for April's change? Well, all that guilt elimination over meals has freed up my energy to focus on only buying second hand clothes for the month of April. This is something I already do for the kids, but now I want to add myself to the list. I've found an upscale re-sale store that has been a great place to start, but obviously it's a bit pricey (though, much cheaper than in the city where I used to shop). So, off to thrift stores I go...maybe I'll even gain some much needed alteration skills in the process.

ps--our diva dishwasher isn't dead yet...

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T11:43:00.003-04:00

Here's wishing (hopping?) Peter Cottontail brings you a lovey day!!

Other Nature Tables

2010-04-03T12:11:00.005-04:00

I love looking at the nooks and corners of other people's homes...Rhythm of the Home has posted here more Spring nature tables. I think this place, more than any other spot in the home, reflects where you live and who lives with you (i.e. very young children, mischevious wool loving cats, etc.). Have fun looking!!

Going, going...

2010-03-30T13:53:00.007-04:00

Our seasonal table has, until recently, been pretty bare this month. I had been waiting (not always so patiently) for flowers to bloom. But now Spring has definitely arrived and our willows, fruit trees, daffodils, are all in flower...and I thought I'd share what our table looks like now.

The book is one of my favorites, Around The Year by Elsa Beskow. "March is an old man....Soon he'll be going, the grass will turn green. Soon warm sun will melt him, and he will be gone." And then we'll turn the page and have a new poem for April. And I'll finally be able to put the river glass (ice) away too...let's hope!

Another post about birds...

2010-03-29T14:18:00.004-04:00

(photo taken from my morning room window)

Look who came to visit me during lunch...a pileated woodpecker!

Here Chickie Chickie

2010-03-25T19:13:00.003-04:00

I've taken a step in a very different direction from how I ever imagined myself living...I ordered 29 chicks today! Black Australorps, Araucanas (sometimes known as the Easter Egg Layers for their colorful greenish/blue tinted eggs) and Cuckoo Marans. I'm very excited. A friend of mine and I put our orders in together from here. They should arrive the end of May.
Now, all Hubby needs to do is finish the coop!

WIP: marginal victory

2010-03-17T20:07:00.003-04:00

Well, I said that I'd consider it progress if I got all the material washed up by today...and I was able to do just that. But I tried my hand at learning how to cable knit...and shew! I'm gonna need to find some real people to help me.

Also, circular needles? They're taking me a little while to get used to. I'm sure, though, that with patience and practice it will get easier and I'll actually get the hang of cables at some point. I'd love to have the owl hat finished for my oldest's birthday this fall.

Now it's time to cut into that fabric. Yikes. See you next Wednesday???? No pressure, right?

Stocking up

2010-03-15T11:00:00.006-04:00

I spent a lovely Sunday with my parents and my crafty sis (hereafter CS). CS and I took my mother to a huge fabric store and a sweet tiny yarn store where I proceeded to pick away at the huge repository of crafty knowledge that is in fact CS's brain.

And I came away with an armload of fabric (well, an armload for me as I don't *ahem* really sew) and yarn and, yes, my very first set of circular needles. Ack! What have I done?

I need to teach myself how to cable knit (double ack!!) so that I can make this for my oldest, owl-loving son.

And in the next few weeks I also need to learn how to quilt (CS has vowed to help me through this one even though many of you bloggers make it look sooooo easy with your tuts) a very basic block quilt of cushy, soft goodness for my second and oh-so-tactile, cuddly son.

Last, but not least, retro, vintagy (let's pretend that's a word) black & white fabric to make another apron because I loved my other one threadbare and holey.

Maybe I'll actually join in those WIP Wednesday posts! Although, if I only manage to get the fabric washed up by this Wednesday I'll call it progress. ;-)

For the love of birds

2010-03-06T14:51:00.007-05:00

Edited:

My nickname in college was...Bird. Some said it was my funky hair (late 80's bangs that went sky high) some said it was the way I ate, I said it was because of my big honkin' beak...no one really remembers for certain. But it stuck.

And like my nickname might imply I do love birds.

So naturally when I saw the bird sculpture from this post I knew at once I must try to make one for myself.

That was pre-Christmas. Life happened, hunting for sticks got forgotten, children made off with the soft sculpture birdies...

But this weekend my wonderful dad was visiting (to help us build the chicken coop) and in a down moment we got the birds hot glued on to a branch and hung on the wall of my kitchen.

Bird's loving the birds.

Forgot to mention that my college roommate roommate also poked good fun at my phone..."what's this cord thingy?" Yes well, cordless phones don't work when there is no power. And when we first moved here the power died at the slightest breeze. Now this is our back-up phone. Not pretty, but she works in an emergency.

Ready for sunshine

2010-03-05T09:51:00.002-05:00

Don't know what the weather is like where you are, but the sun has finally decided to show itself. Our nature table is pretty bare (reflecting the bare transitional feel outside) and I found myself hunting round the house for some pretty treasures to brighten it up. To remind us that those root children are stirring and will soon (soon!) be parading around again.

So, here is a little visual something I hunted up from my archives to brighten our bloggy day.
Where there's a rainbow there's hope. Yes?

One Small Change

2010-03-01T09:16:00.006-05:00

Suzy over at Hip Mountain Mama created One Small Change back in January. I've been deliberating ever since in what way I'd join in.

I've made a lot of changes (some big, some small) over the last few years. So much so that a college roommate who visited me this weekend was shocked at my new life...more shocked at how happy I was (and the kids were) with less. Wish I had a picture of her face when she spied my knitting basket.

For giggles I made up a list:

Solar panels on our roof when we built this house.
Radiant floors heated by the solar panels and an outdoor woodstove.
We use washcloths instead of paper towels, baby wipes, etc...
Cloth napkins for everyone.
Regularly use my own bags for my purchases, grocery and other.
We keep a veggie garden and also have apples, pears, blueberries, raspberries.
Kids' lunches are all reusable containers/utensils (minimal plastic)--no juice boxes, plastic baggies, paper napkins.
Hankies instead of tissues (though only I use them sofar).
Mend clothes whenever possible. Repurpose them when it's not.

So I didn't really feel like I NEEDED to add to that, but I sure did think the idea was awesome and I also liked that it got me thinking. Could I realisticly add one more? Did I want to?

In February we were hit with many snowstorms in a row. Twice we were without power (and as we use well water that meant no running water either). I hand washed (with water from our emergency supply heated by the gas stove).

And turns out I didn't mind. Liked it even. Really. Our dishwasher has been on the fritz, see. Feigning death like an opera star, at least once a month. And Hubby, fix-it hero that he is, steps in dramatically for the save. Tiresome. I realized that we can not only conserve water by hand washing, but also dish soap. It forces time alone that can be spent meditating (while I stare dreamily out the window over the sink) or time spent together (you wash, I'll dry) where talk magically happens. My one small change for February was more of an epiphany: when our dishwasher finally kicks it (for reals this time) we will not buy another one. Nope, you heard me. Done. I look at you, dishwasher, and dare you to leave us for good. We will get on just fine without you. Might just even put a cabinet in your place.
What's in store for March? No more PAM. As in the spray. Chemicals. So. Not. My. Thing. Anymore. But, there it is in my cabinet next to the bottles of olive, peanut, and coconut oils. I only used it for baking...it was soooooo easy just to spritz my bread pans (I long ago got tired of the oil misters gunking up/breaking and all the plastic involved). I was making homemade bread with good ingredients and, yes, spraying the pans!

The solution, it turns out, was under my nose for a while. I'd read the tip many times in frugal articles, but dismissed it. I didn't think of it until I was grumbling (to myself) about the butter (I buy good butter) that gets left unused on the wrapper...which was going into the trash. Our budget is very tight. And wasting food (when I'm spending so much on "good" food) is not an option our budget can withstand. Suddenly I remembered that you can save the greasy wrappers in a baggie in the freezer until you need them...take them out and butter your pans. Duh. And. So. Easy. Pam--begone! And there you have March's One Small Change.

Heart-Month Swap wrap-up

2010-02-28T20:21:00.005-05:00

I had so much fun participating in Nicole's valentine swap.

This was the first time I'd had the nerve to join in a swap and I'm so glad I did. Not only was it fun to create cards for 10 wonderful bloggers but it transformed into a great moment of shared creativity with my daughter. She was blown away by the fact that though I didn't know these people, I still felt it was worth my time to create cards by hand. And, in the spirit of imitation, she requested some paper so she could craft right along with me, making special cards for her teacher, the beloved bus driver and her girl-cousins.

Both of us had a blast peeking into the mailbox each day for envelopes of sweetness that arrived in the weeks that following Valentine's Day. Thank you everyone who swapped with us! Your words of friendship and blessings made our day!

Kitchen helpers

2010-02-25T07:46:00.000-05:00

This has worked really well for our family the last six months. Are your kids like mine? Wonderful helpers when they feel like it and a tad grumbly to downright stubborn about helping when you really need it? Well, I decided a little plan was in order. Rhythm, you know. I was inspired by another blogger that posted something very much like this only for her four children. I collapsed the jobs into three (to suit our family), posted the chart onto the fridge and voila: instant cooperation. Seriously. With the exception of a handful of grumbly times. Mostly I have three excited helpers who know exactly what is expected of them and when and more importantly that when the week is up they get to go on to another job.

Sous Chef: helps Mom or Dad fix the meal.

Host/Hostess: sets the table, brings serving dishes to the table, gets drinks, calls everyone to eat.

Bus boy/girl: Picks out the blessing and lights candle. Clears the serving dishes. Blows out blessing candle. Puts away napkins/placemats and wipes down the table after the meal.

What works for your family meal times?

Hudson Valley Seed Library

2010-02-23T07:59:00.002-05:00

If you're like me and itching to get in the garden we're not the only ones...Progressive Pioneer is having a cool giveaway through the Hudson Valley Seed Library. You have to click on the "giveaway" link above to see the amazing artwork that is on the cover of the seed packs. Not only do you save the seeds you harvest, you can even save the beautiful packaging. Wouldn't any three of those darlings look sweet framed together?

Springtime Dreams...

2010-02-20T20:55:00.005-05:00

It was sunny today and warm enough to start melting the snow into mud and slush. And I got the sudden urge to spring clean the greenhouse. I washed up all the pots (most are reused nursery pots or plastic tubs we've put holes in the bottom with a candle-heated nail) and let them air dry.

This season I want to try saving some of our own seed. At least for some of our favorites. And to that end I was looking through these:
and plotting this years' harvest in this:

Keep at it Mrs. Thaw. I hear King Winter is sending us more snow.

Hostess with the mostest

2010-02-19T10:12:00.001-05:00

For the most part I try to eat healthy. It's good for me (duh. though amazingly sometimes that's just not enough of a reason. why is that?), it's good for my family (proof: kids eat what they see their parents eat on a regular basis), and good for Mother Earth (that's worth a separate post entirely). That said. I LOVE chocolate. LOVE, love. And in an effort to control my sweet tooth and better my little corner of the world I try to eat only home baked goods. I figure the effort of baking myself (with better quality and often healthier ingredients) might pay off with my own figure. That's what I keep telling myself anyway.

I saw this recipe for Hostess-like creme filled cupcakes and finally got up the courage to try it during one of the many VA snowstorms during which we were all feeling a little stir-crazy. Note to self: not sure the chocolate helped the situation.

I was happy to discover this is easier to do than I thought. Of course, I made them just for fun. On a day I had nothing better to do. Not, mind you, for someone's birthday (as has been requested already by my Middlest child). When one might, just might, have other things on her mind.

I did eventually frost the tops with chocolate buttercream, but I loved this picture where you can see the filled creame poofing up through the cake a bit.

Here is a helpful link if you are like me and have no icing cones on hand. God bless Internet.

Valentine's Day and the Late Christmas Party

2010-02-15T14:33:00.018-05:00

First, the party: for the last three years Hubby and I have been invited to our friends' house for their Procrastinators Christmas Party (and yes, they did have all their decorations up still--the tree was on the back porch sporting lights) to enjoy some rare, no-kids allowed company and to exchange gifts.

Let me clarify. Bad gifts. Sometimes white elephants from around the house, sometimes re-gifted items, sometimes purposely shopped for items of incredible hideousness. Oh, the fun of it all!

Each couple brings (and theoretically goes home with) two gifts--a "good one" and a stinker. During the potluck festivities each person is handed a random number. This is the order in which guests pick their gifts. Each person can pick a wrapped gift from the pile (no touching or peeking) to open or "steal" someone else's previously opened gift. Since position #1 is at a bit of a disadvantage, that person is allowed one final swap after all the numbers have gone. Only two rules: no touching the gifts to determine heavyness, etc; and each gift can only be "stolen" twice.

I'm telling you. So. Much. Fun.

This year I brought black & white (or tuxedo) cookies. Our "good" gift was a six pack of craft beer and a bottle of chardonay. Our "stinker"? I'll never tell! But my basement feels lighter to be rid of it. ;-)

Edited: the recipe for the black & white cookies.

With being snowed in and house bound for so long it made for a wonderful Valentine's Day. No commercialized pressure...just our family doing our own thing. There was wine and champagne for Hubby and I; fondue dinner with fun romantic music (Don Juan DeMarco Soundtrack); and then we all snuggled up on our futon and watched home movies from when the kids were young.

The fondue was three courses: cheese, broth and of course chocolate. I made french bread and, for the first time, homemade angel food cake--which was so divine I found myself dreaming up love letters to the local chickens that gave us the egg whites. Or maybe that was the wine talkin'.

This year the kids decided to donate their "give" money (their monthly allowance is divided three ways: give, save, spend) to the state's wildlife rehabilitation center. We donate once a year as a family and we do it on "Heart Day." Because giving is so good for your heart.

Dining out, redefined

2010-02-13T07:51:00.010-05:00

Day 10 of no school (with snow cancellations and scheduled teacher workdays--hmmm, time to homeschool?).

I came across the cutest picture on the web today while blogsurfing (I'll try to get a link) of two young ladies eating breakfast, get this--outside on a snow couch feet propped up on a snow coffee table). Cool!

My kids saw the picture and dashed back outside to make their own. Awesome. Then my Littlest came in and asked to eat dinner outside. Who was I to say no? A little chili and hot cocoa (by candlelight no less) and presto--Hubby and I had a quiet meal just the two of us inside. Double Awesome. Why didn't we think of that earlier in the week? Next, a snow TV? Snow bed???? We may just make it through the Winter after all.

Sorry about the pictures...it was well past twilight when they began to eat and I'm woefully underqualified to be a camera operator.

Updated: here is the link to see the picture that inspired my kiddos.

Grateful Friday

2010-02-12T08:23:00.007-05:00

Inspired by Shelley's weekly postings at Waldorf Mama here is my version:

snow just right for sledding.

Hubby arriving home safely from his trip in time to keep us warm with firewood and the generator while the power went out, twice.

calm & peaceful moments while handwashing dishes.

time to make handmade valentines with my daughter.

What are you grateful this week?

Psst...giveaway

2010-02-10T21:30:00.003-05:00

Go check out Healing Hillary she's having a give-away for the book, Beyond the Rainbow Bridge--Nurturing our children from birth to seven. This is a primary resource for Waldorf parents. I have to admit, I've not read it. As my "littles" are nearly all older than the age ranges in the book I've not bought it. Our library doesn't carry a copy either. But I'd love to have the chance to look through it. Maybe you would too. Hurry over, the giveaway ends on Valentine's Day.

In our corner of the world

2010-02-09T14:33:00.009-05:00

Blue skies and ice wherever we go,

slipping and sliding deep in the snow.

Uphill and downhill, neither leaf nor green:

the sun bright and clear, no grass to be seen.

Woollies and hoods, on toboggans all day.

Gloves on our hands and Spring far away.

{I love that on the right side of the window I can just make out my daughter sledding down the hill}

Back home Mama's baking big loaves and small.

How hungry we are--we'll soon eat them all!

--Elsa Beskow from Around the Year

A little grace...

2010-02-05T17:19:00.004-05:00

I love this quote, found in the book I'm reading by Kim John Payne, Simplicity Parenting:

"A little grace is needed, after all, for [children] to develop into the people they're meant to be, especially in a world that is constantly bombarding them (and us) with the distractions of so many things, so much information, speed, and urgency. These stresses distract from the focus or "task" of childhood: an emerging, developing sense of self."

I smile every time I pick up the book and look at the title: Simplicity Parenting. I had to order it from our local big box bookstore (our library didn't have it) and the young man who took my order information snorted at the idea of a "simple parenting" book. Maybe he had young children of his own or maybe he's just worked there long enough to note the ridiculous amount of self-help style books on parenting. Either way he is right to be jaded. But I wanted to say, "wait! this book will be different!" But of course, I hadn't read it yet. So far though, it doesn't disappoint.

A side note--we are getting lovely, lovely snow as I type. Anywhere from 5-24 inches and power outtages are predicted. We almost never get much snow by the river here in VA. Almost, except for this year. To quote my 10 year old son, "best Winter ever!" Looking forward to being blanketed by snow, free of outside distractions/obligations, keeping it simple. That is, as long as the hot chocolate and firewood lasts...

May blessings rain down on you too.

Have a heart

2010-01-31T14:32:00.003-05:00

Brenda over at Secret Agent Josephine is giving away free printable valentines...supercute.
I had been trolling through etsy looking for an alternative to the cheap-o mass-media offerings. I didn't want to blow our budget, but also thought I'd rather give our money to a person than a Corp. Then I saw these and thought PERFECT! Free fits our budget just right. Okay, you can drop a dollar (or more) into her new printer fund. But the truth is she gives freebies out all the time and my kids loved the cards and anyways I think I can afford a little donation to the SAJ fund.
I know there are other free/cute downloads out there for valentine's day. Feel free to leave links in the comment section if you come across something you love too.

Do you have rhythm?

2010-01-30T13:46:00.012-05:00

"Doing things rhythmically simplifies life" --Rahima Baldwin Dancy.

There is a wonderful interview with Nicole from Frontier Dreams over at The Magic Onions where she talks about the rhythm of her day. She has little ones at home. My littles are 10, 8 1/2, and 7. Not. so. little. sigh.

Sometimes I feel like I've missed the boat with the magic of Waldorf. But then I focus on what is really behind the teachings; daily rhythm, sticking to what is age appropriate for my children, accepting responsibility for setting the tone of the household (i.e. keeping a place of peace and love for my family)...there is more, of course. If you keep digging you'll find more areas Waldorf can guide your parenting.

But I started with rhythm. And I started with me. I know. ME! I looked at my bedtime routine. Every night I count my blessings. A gratitude journal of sorts. And I include every part of my day that I feel needs celebrating:
1) Took trash to the dump.
2) Did laundry start to finish.
3) Baked bread.
4) Watched the kids wrestle like puppies in front of the fire before bedtime.

Who knew? I had rhythm already. Every night. Well, mostly. But that's the beauty of rhythm as opposed to schedule. I've heard it likened to a rubber band that expands when required but also will hold tight when you need it too. Something my recovering perfectionist self needed to hear before going down this path. There is nothing worse than trying to hold yourself (or your family) to a schedule you can't keep.

Back to rhythm. After establishing what my nightly (and then daily) rhythm was I worked on uncovering the natural rhythm of my childrens' day. Once again I chose to start with the end of the day, bedtime. I really feel that having a good day begins the night before with a good night's sleep...and a strong bedtime rhythm.

So I began with the end in mind. Each of my children have a bedtime verse and their own candle by their beds (the matches and the small cup of water stay with Mama). For my big boys this was enough to set the mood for bedtime. My 7 year old daughter needed a more set rhythm of an early bedtime. Early. Like 7pm. Which drives what time we have dinner and even what time the kids get home from school (I pick them up now instead of them taking the bus--which works best for everyone). See how one rhythm flows into the other?

Which is exactly what it's like on a good day...the day flows naturally (was going to say effortlessly, but that's not really accurate) from one activity to another.

I'm sure I'll post more on rhythms again...but blogging and real life are butting heads at the moment and I have a little girl who's in need of some Mamalove & attention.

I believe in fairies...

2010-01-24T20:17:00.000-05:00

I spent the whole dang day ignoring my family to finish up reading Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat Pray Love...it was due back at the library (um, yesterday) and I was determined to get her done as they say where I live. It was in a word, AWESOME. I loved traveling around with her as she journeyed to Italy, India and Indonesia. But impossibly more AWESOME was this clip I found on her website about rethinking creative genius and where it comes from....if you create and have ever felt humbled by the process please view...and OLE! (Trust me, you'll just have to watch it).

Renewal

2010-01-19T11:06:00.001-05:00

Hi all. Welcome back if you've found me again. I used to have a blog called Town & Country Mouse. I loved it. The title so totally described me. Too well, though. It felt like the name was calling me to talk more about where I lived. And, well, my Hubby doesn't want his life public and wants to keep it that way. But I've missed blogging. I love reading and trying what other people have bravely put out for others to view publicly...and well, I'm a writer, so he's going to have to deal with it on some level...so, I'm starting over with Stirrings and Stories which will be equally awesome, I can feel it. So, as I said over on the side bar, whatever your reason for joining me here on this little space, thank you! And I do mean that from the bottom of my heart.