The kids wanted to do something special for the 4th, but being so warm and not wanting to travel too far, our choices were limited. We decided to go miniature golfing. Wayne held down the home fort while I took the 6 'at home' kids to Oneonta for the adventure. Nathanial and I have played mini-golf before, but this was a first for the rest of the gang. After 2 1/2 hours of laughing and fooling around we finally finished the 18 holes (there wasn't anyone behind us, which was a good thing!) Jonathan did extremely well to keep the ball out of the water until the 17th hole. It was a great day of memory making and now Ian keeps asking when we can go back.
We've had several evenings of sporadic firework displays. Ian gets a little bit frustrated with them when he's trying to go to sleep. "Don't they realize that some people want to sleep at night?!"
The rest of the weekend has been spent doing projects around the farm. I was able to hill the potatoes and corn yesterday before the heat got too intense. I've also been harvesting herbs for projects.
Katelyn and Marc are in training for the big YFC bike trip through the Catskill Mountains which is scheduled for the 2nd week of August.
Rachael and Katelyn were able to get some horseback riding in yesterday at the stable where they work. It's been a long time since they've had the opportunity to ride and are a bit stiff and sore today.
Nathanial is looking to go to NC to work on his masters degree. He's working out the details to make a visit to the campus before committing to moving there. I'm hoping to tag along and visit friends while in the area.
Even in the lazy, hazy days of summer there's plenty to keep us busy.
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Sunday, June 30, 2013
End of June Excitement
Ever since the closing of the shop in February, the Artisan Guild has been searching for a new home. It's been very discouraging because there are a LOT of empty buildings/businesses in the village of Unadilla, but for one reason or another, none of them are available for us to rent. There have been times when we wondered if we were just to give up on the idea, but as soon as the thought was verbalized, there would be a re-iteration by some outside source of how important the shop is to the community.
The other day Wayne received a call from an area church board member offering their parsonage as a temporary shop for the Unadilla Artisan Guild. The pastor is moving out this weekend and we'll be able to get in to look over the new site either tomorrow or Tuesday. Depending on how much work needs to be done to set up the shop we could be open very soon!
Having an active shop again will provide the opportunities for us to pursue other funding to purchase a permanent building for the Guild and provide other growth opportunities for the Guild and the community. We are VERY excited to see what God is going to do in this next phase of the Artisan Guild.
The days ahead will be busy as we take stock of inventory, finish new items for the shop, and build displays in the store. It'll be great working with all the wonderful artisans again. They've become like family and it's been strange not seeing each other on a regular basis for the past few months.
How neat it is that a church has provided a means for the community to regain a business. We are blessed!
The other day Wayne received a call from an area church board member offering their parsonage as a temporary shop for the Unadilla Artisan Guild. The pastor is moving out this weekend and we'll be able to get in to look over the new site either tomorrow or Tuesday. Depending on how much work needs to be done to set up the shop we could be open very soon!
Having an active shop again will provide the opportunities for us to pursue other funding to purchase a permanent building for the Guild and provide other growth opportunities for the Guild and the community. We are VERY excited to see what God is going to do in this next phase of the Artisan Guild.
The days ahead will be busy as we take stock of inventory, finish new items for the shop, and build displays in the store. It'll be great working with all the wonderful artisans again. They've become like family and it's been strange not seeing each other on a regular basis for the past few months.
How neat it is that a church has provided a means for the community to regain a business. We are blessed!
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Busy Days
We made the planned trip to Syracuse on Thursday, but the weather didn't cooperate for a zoo adventure. We ended up going to the MOST Center, which is a hands on science museum. It was so much fun seeing the 2 youngest enjoy the museum. Ian told me that night that it was the happiest day and that he just couldn't stop smiling as he thought of our time at the museum.
Yesterday Rachael and I attended a small fiber festival. Rachael got lots of inspiration for needle felting projects. She was also drawn to every animal at the festival. I had to remind her several times that we weren't there for herding dogs, alpaca, or sheep. After the festival we stopped at a quilt shop where she picked out fabric to make a new tote bag for her music lesson. We stopped at another small shop to get some coconut oil for me to make another batch of goat milk soap.
Today started with a trip to the ER with Wayne due to severe pain spasms of his back. They gave him a "cocktail" of pain and anti-inflammatory medications and he slept for a bit.
Upon returning home, I took Katelyn to her final concert of the season with the Little Delaware Youth Ensemble. They did a wonderful job. I'm always so impressed that such a diverse age group of young people can come together and make such beautiful music.
Katelyn is going to miss her weekly rehearsals with her orchestra friends, but I'm looking forward to the break from 'crazy Monday' (which also included work for me and swimming lessons for the 2 youngest). Marc also finished his session of therapeutic horseback riding for the summer so that's another 'to do' gone from the list.
So another week has passed and a new routine will be kicking into gear with the end of the school year and the beginning of summer adventures. Let the fun begin!
Yesterday Rachael and I attended a small fiber festival. Rachael got lots of inspiration for needle felting projects. She was also drawn to every animal at the festival. I had to remind her several times that we weren't there for herding dogs, alpaca, or sheep. After the festival we stopped at a quilt shop where she picked out fabric to make a new tote bag for her music lesson. We stopped at another small shop to get some coconut oil for me to make another batch of goat milk soap.
Today started with a trip to the ER with Wayne due to severe pain spasms of his back. They gave him a "cocktail" of pain and anti-inflammatory medications and he slept for a bit.
Upon returning home, I took Katelyn to her final concert of the season with the Little Delaware Youth Ensemble. They did a wonderful job. I'm always so impressed that such a diverse age group of young people can come together and make such beautiful music.
Katelyn is going to miss her weekly rehearsals with her orchestra friends, but I'm looking forward to the break from 'crazy Monday' (which also included work for me and swimming lessons for the 2 youngest). Marc also finished his session of therapeutic horseback riding for the summer so that's another 'to do' gone from the list.
So another week has passed and a new routine will be kicking into gear with the end of the school year and the beginning of summer adventures. Let the fun begin!
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Jumping into June
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.
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.
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.
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