I've been spending the past couple of weeks getting the garden planted. I still have a few herbs and flowers to find homes for, and there will be at least one or two more staggered green bean plantings, but now the main focus will be on subduing the weeds. I'm also researching crops for late fall and winter harvests to help keep our diet healthy, costs down, and which can be grown in our hoop house.
Friends came and helped reposition the shed our neighbor gave us for Marc to use as his blacksmith shop. Wayne hopes to get the hoop house attached to the side of the shop so it will double as an entry into the hoop house (providing a buffer from the cold air to enter and exit during the cold months).
On the 1st Wayne and I celebrated 28 years of marriage. It's hard to believe that so many years have passed. It's been a wonderful adventure!
Yesterday I celebrated my 50th birthday...half a century!?! The girls made a spaghetti dinner and a cake for me. It was a wonderful day of relaxation and rest.
Tomorrow the 'baby' of the family turns 8...that doesn't seem possible either! We're going to make a family trip to Syracuse and try to get to the zoo for a special birthday present. If the weather doesn't cooperate, we'll try out the hands-on science museum. Ian will be thrilled with either activity, and it will be fun to do something as a family.
The girls finished their standardized tests, so they are 'officially' done with school for the year. As soon as we receive the test results, I can file our end of year reports with the school superintendent and I'll be done for 2012-13. School never really ends since there's always learning experiences in life, but it'll be nice to have a little less structure to the schedule and some extra time to do all the things we put off for summer.
Today we made a difficult decision and took two of the alpaca to auction. We got rid of "Mr. Wonderful" and "Peter". Mr. Wonderful didn't have very good fleece and was getting quite old. Peter was a kicker and his fleece was difficult to work with. Culling the herd is hard, but I know we need to make these difficult decisions as part of our business. I will miss "the boys" but will try to keep my focus on what we have left.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Three More Bags Full!
Yesterday our sheep gave me their wool to enjoy in my fiber pursuits. Before leaving, our shearer gave me the name and number of another local farmer who had a very nice fleece that she couldn't use. The woman wanted to give it to someone who would put it to good use. The shearer told me that it was a fleece with little v.m. (vegetable matter) and I'd be able to jump in and spin without too much skirting. Well, being a fiber fanatic, I couldn't pass up the opportunity for a good fleece! I got directions and picked up a beautiful cream fleece with wonderful crimp (that's good in fiber language).
This afternoon I received a call from the shearer. "Linda, I'm about to drive by your house and I have three beautiful fleeces that were going to be thrown out. I thought of you. Do you want them?" She went on to describe the color and qualities of the fleece. My response, "I'll meet you in my driveway!" I grabbed some garbage bags to store them and we emptied her trunk...three bags full of beautiful, soft, wool that my hands are just itching to skirt, wash, and spin. One is a deep black, another is a silvery black, and the final one is a gorgeous white.
Wayne is wondering why we are raising farm animals if it's this easy to get good fiber. I think that there is something special about raising the animal that gives the wool...I just have to help him see it from that perspective.
The shearer is happy to share the bounty of her profession with a fellow spinner. Unfortunately, she has little time to spin and has quite a collection of fleece from previous seasons. She told me that her husband would not be happy if she brought any additional bags home so I'm able to reap an abundant wool harvest this spring.
Excuse me, but I think I'll go wash some wool...
This afternoon I received a call from the shearer. "Linda, I'm about to drive by your house and I have three beautiful fleeces that were going to be thrown out. I thought of you. Do you want them?" She went on to describe the color and qualities of the fleece. My response, "I'll meet you in my driveway!" I grabbed some garbage bags to store them and we emptied her trunk...three bags full of beautiful, soft, wool that my hands are just itching to skirt, wash, and spin. One is a deep black, another is a silvery black, and the final one is a gorgeous white.
Wayne is wondering why we are raising farm animals if it's this easy to get good fiber. I think that there is something special about raising the animal that gives the wool...I just have to help him see it from that perspective.
The shearer is happy to share the bounty of her profession with a fellow spinner. Unfortunately, she has little time to spin and has quite a collection of fleece from previous seasons. She told me that her husband would not be happy if she brought any additional bags home so I'm able to reap an abundant wool harvest this spring.
Excuse me, but I think I'll go wash some wool...
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Surprising Revelation...
Growing up I vaguely remember my mother asking us kids to weed the garden. I didn't do the task very often because I think I put up enough of a stink that Mom probably did it herself rather than deal with my bad attitude.
Yesterday I was able to spend the majority of the day weeding and mulching my flower gardens. As I 'played' in the dirt, I realized that I was thoroughly enjoying myself. I don't know when my perspective of weeding changed, but as I pulled out the various weeds and revelled in the growth of my perennials, I thought to myself, "If Mom saw me now, she'd be amazed!" My kids don't look at weeding as a "fun" task, and that's okay. I've found a nice quiet way to relax where I know the kids won't disturb me!
Today the sheep got shorn. My fat 'teddy bear' sheep look so funny in their new 'skins'. The early part of the day was quite musical with the goats blatting to get back into the barn and the sheep baaing to get out of the barn. Since the shearer wanted the sheep to have empty stomachs (it makes it more comfortable for the sheep as they are being sheared) we gave them food last night, and this morning let the goats out to pasture. Now they are all back together, but the goats are trying to figure out who the strange creatures are and continue to voice their distress over the change in routine.
Yesterday I was able to spend the majority of the day weeding and mulching my flower gardens. As I 'played' in the dirt, I realized that I was thoroughly enjoying myself. I don't know when my perspective of weeding changed, but as I pulled out the various weeds and revelled in the growth of my perennials, I thought to myself, "If Mom saw me now, she'd be amazed!" My kids don't look at weeding as a "fun" task, and that's okay. I've found a nice quiet way to relax where I know the kids won't disturb me!
Today the sheep got shorn. My fat 'teddy bear' sheep look so funny in their new 'skins'. The early part of the day was quite musical with the goats blatting to get back into the barn and the sheep baaing to get out of the barn. Since the shearer wanted the sheep to have empty stomachs (it makes it more comfortable for the sheep as they are being sheared) we gave them food last night, and this morning let the goats out to pasture. Now they are all back together, but the goats are trying to figure out who the strange creatures are and continue to voice their distress over the change in routine.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
May?!
How did May get here so fast?!?! I have to keep checking the calendar because last night we had temps in the 20's!!! Hopefully, the blueberries will still produce since Wayne covered them with a tarp, but only time will tell for the peaches and apples.
The past month has been filled with rushing...to learn everything I could from my boss who retired after 35 years of service to the Town...to get things to a point where I could run up to Maine for a long weekend before my boss retired...to get a quilt made for the retirement party...to get kids to dental appointments, Wayne to doctor appointments, and kids to music lessons/therapy sessions. Thankfully, my new boss is wonderful to work with and together we'll get through this adjustment period--laughing and teasing each other all the way. Now that I'm not rushing quite as much , I'm trying to figure out what I'm supposed to be doing!
The alpacas were sheared on the 4th. The sheep get sheared this Saturday. I'll have all sorts of fiber to play with! I picked up a loom while in Maine and hope to get that set up soon. Marc wants to learn to weave and I'm eager to learn myself. I've played around with smaller looms, but have not dived in with 'both feet' (or hands in this case).
Marc is scheduled to restart his blacksmith lessons next week. He's been working on making aluminum hooks over the winter. Our neighbor gave us a 12' x 12' building to set up his smithy. We want to move it to the end of the garden so Wayne can have a greenhouse set up off one side of the building.
Our seedlings are doing well, but tomorrow I need to go through the rest of the seeds and finish starting any 'indoor' plantings. The peas are in the garden and showing a few leaves.
We're still at a standstill with the shop. Wayne and Rachael manned a tent in the village on Saturday for several hours with no sales. Several people stopped by to say how much they missed the shop, but after 4 hours with no sales, they closed up the tent and came home. We're still praying about the future of the Artisan Guild. In the meantime, since we're not under pressure to keep inventory up, we've been able to pursue some other artistic interests (i.e. the weaving and Wayne redesigning his cut glass worktable) and slowly build up an inventory for the future.
Half way through May--unbelievable! Jonathan is counting down until the 21st--his 10th birthday--that seems unbelievable, too.
The past month has been filled with rushing...to learn everything I could from my boss who retired after 35 years of service to the Town...to get things to a point where I could run up to Maine for a long weekend before my boss retired...to get a quilt made for the retirement party...to get kids to dental appointments, Wayne to doctor appointments, and kids to music lessons/therapy sessions. Thankfully, my new boss is wonderful to work with and together we'll get through this adjustment period--laughing and teasing each other all the way. Now that I'm not rushing quite as much , I'm trying to figure out what I'm supposed to be doing!
The alpacas were sheared on the 4th. The sheep get sheared this Saturday. I'll have all sorts of fiber to play with! I picked up a loom while in Maine and hope to get that set up soon. Marc wants to learn to weave and I'm eager to learn myself. I've played around with smaller looms, but have not dived in with 'both feet' (or hands in this case).
Marc is scheduled to restart his blacksmith lessons next week. He's been working on making aluminum hooks over the winter. Our neighbor gave us a 12' x 12' building to set up his smithy. We want to move it to the end of the garden so Wayne can have a greenhouse set up off one side of the building.
Our seedlings are doing well, but tomorrow I need to go through the rest of the seeds and finish starting any 'indoor' plantings. The peas are in the garden and showing a few leaves.
We're still at a standstill with the shop. Wayne and Rachael manned a tent in the village on Saturday for several hours with no sales. Several people stopped by to say how much they missed the shop, but after 4 hours with no sales, they closed up the tent and came home. We're still praying about the future of the Artisan Guild. In the meantime, since we're not under pressure to keep inventory up, we've been able to pursue some other artistic interests (i.e. the weaving and Wayne redesigning his cut glass worktable) and slowly build up an inventory for the future.
Half way through May--unbelievable! Jonathan is counting down until the 21st--his 10th birthday--that seems unbelievable, too.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Weekend Recoveries
The 'bug' spread to me, and I now can relate to how the kids were feeling. I've spent a good part of the weekend sleeping and had little energy to do much more than that.
The spinning wheel was dusted off and I sat contentedly spinning a spool's worth of yarn between naps. This afternoon was the turning point and after plying the yarn I decided to attempt wrapping a warp for my rigid heddle loom.
Last summer Wayne and I found a 'bundle of sticks' at a yard sale in the village. I had my suspicions that it had something to do with fiber processing and asked how much they wanted for the bundle. $5 was the asking price and I parted with the money without hesitation. When we got home, Wayne and I untied the bundle and realized that it was a small warping reel with hand-carved pegs and rods. Tonight Wayne helped me put it all together, and I reeled the warp for my weaving project on it. It is amazing to see the ingenuity of the craftsman and I'm thrilled to be able to use such wonderful antique tools in my fiber projects. I hope to get the warp tied onto the rigid heddle loom this week, but there are several other "to do" items on my list. I promise myself that I won't have to get sick to return to my loom project--or any of my other 'fiber pursuits' that have been on the back burner due to sewing demands.
Last night I ended up taking Jonathan to the ER due to a severe case of hives. After his bath he exploded into a rash. He didn't seem to respond to the antihistamine and the rash was getting worse. Thankfully, the hives were not in his mouth or throat and the doctor told us to continue treating them the way we were. It appears he has an allergy to the antibiotic he was on for a tooth infection. It took 8 days to show, but that is not uncommon--or so we found out yesterday. Poor Jonathan's face is bright red and swollen into one big mass of hives. The rest of his body has been covered with a fiery red rash. He couldn't stand to have any ointments on it, but welcomed a milk/oatmeal bath this afternoon. Thankfully, tonight the hives are starting to fade on his legs although his feet are still covered with them. He was so excited to see that they were fading from his legs. He started yelling, "I'm healed! I'm healed!" He's been such a trooper through all of the discomfort. I don't know if I would have handled them as well as he has!
Katelyn has returned to her normal bubbly self--a sign that she has recovered from 'the bug' and the teeth extraction. Her typical wit and teasing have returned, and she's been playing her violin and piano again, which is a true sign or recovery. I so enjoy hearing her play. Tomorrow she returns to orchestra practice and the regular routine.
How thankful I am that we're on the other side of the week of illness and recovery!
P.S. We have spring peepers singing!!!!
The spinning wheel was dusted off and I sat contentedly spinning a spool's worth of yarn between naps. This afternoon was the turning point and after plying the yarn I decided to attempt wrapping a warp for my rigid heddle loom.
Last summer Wayne and I found a 'bundle of sticks' at a yard sale in the village. I had my suspicions that it had something to do with fiber processing and asked how much they wanted for the bundle. $5 was the asking price and I parted with the money without hesitation. When we got home, Wayne and I untied the bundle and realized that it was a small warping reel with hand-carved pegs and rods. Tonight Wayne helped me put it all together, and I reeled the warp for my weaving project on it. It is amazing to see the ingenuity of the craftsman and I'm thrilled to be able to use such wonderful antique tools in my fiber projects. I hope to get the warp tied onto the rigid heddle loom this week, but there are several other "to do" items on my list. I promise myself that I won't have to get sick to return to my loom project--or any of my other 'fiber pursuits' that have been on the back burner due to sewing demands.
Last night I ended up taking Jonathan to the ER due to a severe case of hives. After his bath he exploded into a rash. He didn't seem to respond to the antihistamine and the rash was getting worse. Thankfully, the hives were not in his mouth or throat and the doctor told us to continue treating them the way we were. It appears he has an allergy to the antibiotic he was on for a tooth infection. It took 8 days to show, but that is not uncommon--or so we found out yesterday. Poor Jonathan's face is bright red and swollen into one big mass of hives. The rest of his body has been covered with a fiery red rash. He couldn't stand to have any ointments on it, but welcomed a milk/oatmeal bath this afternoon. Thankfully, tonight the hives are starting to fade on his legs although his feet are still covered with them. He was so excited to see that they were fading from his legs. He started yelling, "I'm healed! I'm healed!" He's been such a trooper through all of the discomfort. I don't know if I would have handled them as well as he has!
Katelyn has returned to her normal bubbly self--a sign that she has recovered from 'the bug' and the teeth extraction. Her typical wit and teasing have returned, and she's been playing her violin and piano again, which is a true sign or recovery. I so enjoy hearing her play. Tomorrow she returns to orchestra practice and the regular routine.
How thankful I am that we're on the other side of the week of illness and recovery!
P.S. We have spring peepers singing!!!!
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Temperatures and Tissues...
Everyone is talking about the warmer weather we had earlier in the week, but the temperatures I'm talking about are the children's.
The past week has been rough on the kids...sneezing and fluctuating temperatures from a cold/flu virus, an infection of a tooth for Jonathan, and 3 teeth extracted for Katelyn. Jon is on the couch and keeps mumbling, "Oh boy." For a normally very active little boy, it seems strange to have him taking naps. Thankfully, his tooth has calmed down now that he's on an antibiotic. Hopefully, this 'bug' will have run its course before his appointment with the dental specialist on the 17th. Katelyn is slowly recovering from the teeth extraction, but the 'bug' has added a twist to the process.
So things on the farm are kind of quiet this week...except for the sneezing, coughing, and 'oh boy' sighs.
The past week has been rough on the kids...sneezing and fluctuating temperatures from a cold/flu virus, an infection of a tooth for Jonathan, and 3 teeth extracted for Katelyn. Jon is on the couch and keeps mumbling, "Oh boy." For a normally very active little boy, it seems strange to have him taking naps. Thankfully, his tooth has calmed down now that he's on an antibiotic. Hopefully, this 'bug' will have run its course before his appointment with the dental specialist on the 17th. Katelyn is slowly recovering from the teeth extraction, but the 'bug' has added a twist to the process.
So things on the farm are kind of quiet this week...except for the sneezing, coughing, and 'oh boy' sighs.
Monday, April 1, 2013
April Fool's Weather
Today has been a crazy day for weather. We awoke to sunshine and fairly warm temps. On my walk to the office I was dodging earthworms on the pavement.
Mid-morning the rain and wind was thrashing against the windows.
At noon we were getting hit hard with hail and wind.
Then the sunshine again but cooler temps.
On our way home from swimming and orchestra rehearsal this evening it was snowing while the sun was shining.
I guess God decided to give us an April Fool's joke of His own. I'm just looking forward to those "May flowers" that come after all this weather.
Mid-morning the rain and wind was thrashing against the windows.
At noon we were getting hit hard with hail and wind.
Then the sunshine again but cooler temps.
On our way home from swimming and orchestra rehearsal this evening it was snowing while the sun was shining.
I guess God decided to give us an April Fool's joke of His own. I'm just looking forward to those "May flowers" that come after all this weather.
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