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Lazy days

Posted by Lacey in Crafts & Projects | gardening/compost | Life - (0 Comments)

The last month or so has been about being kind of lazy actually.

half naked babes in the backyard is a favorite part of summer

We play outside, watch the garden grow, hide from the heat of the day, finish projects and crafts, care for the animals, ignore indoor chores and recently the whole family spent a week fighting off a nasty sickness before heading to my sis-in-laws wedding this past weekend.  We’ve been busy doing not much.

Endless hours of playing train in the garage

Mudboating is the newest sport of choice

Mudboating should be a naked activity, otherwise laundry multiplies exponentially!

And I am mostly ignoring laundry

I'm also ignoring dishes

A finished project, the Saoirse Skirt on Ravelry

Waiting, waiting waiting for these to finish!

 

The first heirloom tomato came off the vine today.  It was deep pinky-scarlet with a touch of dark green on the edges.  Perfectly unround and lumpy and it was….DIVINE!!!  I cut it in half, sprinkled it with Celtic sea salt, drizzled olive oil and balsamic and consumed it ravinisly, letting the juices run down my chin on purpose, cause that’s part of the joy.

I’ve been advised not to be eating tomatoes right now, because they can cause inflammation in the body, but I couldnt resist, ya know?!  I couldn’t even wait long enough to get a picture of it!!

I’m sort of embarrassed to report how incredibly lazy I’ve been actually….

I haven’t canned a single thing.  We eat blackberries off the vine, eat celery with hummus and kale in salads.  Nothing is being preserved.  Yet.

I am beginning to sense the presence of fall though, even if it is 95 degrees today.  I know its there in the shadows, and I need to store food away.

Tonight I head to the neighbors to glean some of their overstock of greenbeans and hopefully I’ll have the gumption to get those canned this week.

Sigh.  It’s been nice to be lazy.

OH one last thing.

Simone’s Rose on Etsy designed and made my bridesmaid dress for the wedding I was in, and I also picked up this sweet skirt from her as well!  It was made to my measurements and she was an absolute peach to work with.  She even RE-made my dress because the first was lost in the mail.  Talk about customer service!  Oh and the quality of the garments.  Swoon.

This is the Heartland Cargo Skirt.  Pockets, wrap around, modest and well made.  It’s a skirt I will likely keep for always.

I wish I could wear this every day!!!

I love the high waist!

 

Bits and Bobbles

Posted by Lacey in Crafts & Projects | Food/recipes | gardening/compost | Life - (0 Comments)

Bits and Bobbles From England

Simple things can mean so much.  Like a friendly neighbor bringing home bits of crafty tools and buttons to you from his elderly mother.  These old wooden needles and weathered finds inspire me to create something worthy of their use…. knitting season is nearly here.

Matcha Goat Milk cooler

You may know, or you may not, that I am on an anti-inflammatory diet to try to clear up some skin issues and rectify some digestive and hormonal problems.  No grains (except rice and oats) no potatoes, no sugar, no cow dairy, eggs, tomatoes, citrus, chocolate or beer for me.  Finding little treats is difficult sometimes, but I think I hit the jackpot with my Green Goat Cooler.  Goats milk is easier to digest, and when sourced from a good source, it has very little difference in taste to creamy rich cows milk.  I found a cute farm out in the hills that raises goats and is selling to me for a very reasonable price.  I really love the taste.

The Green Goat Cooler is as follows

  • Glass of goats milk and ice 3/4 full
  • heat some water to almost boiling and pour 1/4 cup over 1 tsp green match powder, mix well and add 1 Tbs honey.
  • Allow to cool a bit and pour over milk and ice.
  • Add almond or vanilla extract or a bit of powder lavender.
  • Try not to drink it one big gulp.  It’s so good.

 

The weather has been glorious.  80 degrees with a few high clouds.  Not too hot.  It’s perfect.  Last year at this time we were suffering from 100 plus degrees and we sat sweltering in the living room afraid to move lest we wither into a puddle.  Although, August usually has a few surprises up her sleeve…. we may still get a few heat waves.

Freyja turns into a sloppy sleepy dog in this heat, and lays under the cool shade that our mature trees in the backyard offer.  Our yard stays wonderfully cool even in the heat of the day.

 

Warm and lazy

Volunteer surprises!

I discovered this gem of a garlic plant on the side of the house.  I’m not sure if I planted it… I dont remember planting it, but it was a nice surprise none the less!  The bulbs are big and richly scented.  I’ll leave it to dry a bit and then store it in the garage.

Monster Broccoli

The Early sprouting purple broccoli is now taller than my 2 year old and looks more like a forest then a garden!  I’m still waiting to see signs of it flowering, soon hopefully.

 

Soon

Sadly, tomatoes are restricted from my diet, but I am hoping to can up mounds of tomato basil soup for winter, and perhaps by then, I can add them back into my regular menu.  The weather is perfect for them, the sun never so hot that the leaves wilt and take away energy from the important task of ripening.

Houdini Rabbit.

During a rare thunderstorm a few weeks ago, miss Juniper fled from her inescapable little yard pod (or so we thought it was inescapable).  I gave up hope quickly of finding her, knowing that the many predators in the area would make quick work of this domesticated fur ball.  Thankfully the neighbors called up asking if we were missing a grey furry creature.  I got into my best stealth mode character and ninja crept up behind her and was able to save her (she didn’t seem to think so from her little rabbit screams) from the wild outdoors.  She is safe behind bars again, and extra measures have been taken to keep her from another adrenaline-rush escape.

Sun and Blue

In these last weeks I have adopted a new mantra.  A mantra of being peace.  Shalom in my home.  How can I ask my children to respond respectfully and peacably, if I cant even do that?  So I have taken up tasks that help calm my mind and which help me stay in a state of thankfulness and gratitude.  Yoga, hooping, keeping my home neat and tidy (at least more neat than usual….) and taking in small moments of inspiration.  Staring for minutes at a brightly colored candle holder as it glints sunlight off its curved orb, or watching my chickens…. be chickens.  They are sort of fasinating to watch.

Especially when they look this funny!  I never tire of watching my little pom pom chickens strut about as though they are taking care of very important matters with cottonballs attached to their heads and butts.  Hehehehehe!!!!

 

Hours are spent flipping pages... and then cleaning up :)

The boys and I are spending more time outside.  More time reading.  More time taking our time.  Because summer only lasts a few months, childhood lasts only a few years, and life is fragile.  We are only promised this moment, and I want to be calm, content and full in this moment.

Capturing the last of light before the sun sets behind the trees.

May you live fully in this moment.

2 and 8

Posted by Lacey in Bringing up Baby | Life - (7 Comments)

The night of a lunar eclipse in 2009, I labored very UNquietly for 5 short (didn’t seem like it at the time!) hours to bring our second son into the world in the comfort of our own home.  My wild and squishy sweet Kai turned 2 in this last week.  I held him to my chest and pressed my cheek into his the night before his birthday and said goodbye to the ‘baby’ phase.  I watched him sleep and let a few tears fall as I realized that my babies are no longer babies.  They tear around the house making mischief of one kind or another.  My Kai Kai is passionate, loud, soft, sweet and truly a free spirit.  He is coy and his eyes dart about like a little imp.  I will often hear him call for me from the yard or another room, ‘Mama!  hug!!’  After finding me and squishing his little body against my knees, he’ll smile a slobbery grin and bound off to continue his play.  It makes my heart melt.  He truly has me wrapped around his fat little fingers.

My little farm monkey

Fast asleep under the blueberry bushes. He is such a little berry bear.

Today marks 8 years of marriage for Seth and I.  I dont feel that 8 years quite sums up how much my life has been rocked for the better because of the man I married.  He is strong and steadfast.  Logical and grounded.  I have never, not ONCE, heard him yell at myself or the boys (the same cant be said of me….)  He is so incredibly giving and thoughtful.  Not in the way of presents and taking me on dates, but in the way he knows me through and through and can see when I need his intervention.  He knows when to let me sleep in, when to push me out of the house for some alone time.  He knows when I need gentle criticism .  He knows when I need to pour out my heart, and he simply sits and listens intently, hugs me strong, and tells me the simple truth, that he loves me.

He loves ME.  Me… the wild and forgetful, silly and uncertain.  He loves my crazy hair and my ever changing dreams.  He loves me in my carharrts and pitted out t-shirts.  He loves me when I try to get dressed up and I feel awkward….

But He loves me.  And I have never doubted that one day of this entire journey, and thats worth more than all the diamonds in the world.

8 years ago.... and we look 12!!

Recently... and we look tired :) But happy. Cause we are.

Through new eyes.

Posted by Lacey in Life - (1 Comments)

My new camera has arrived, and we’re best pals.  These were our adventures today.

Heavy air

Posted by Lacey in Life - (1 Comments)

It’s heavy and thick.  The air is full of anticipation.  Precipitation seems to be hovering, waiting, to douse the valley at any minute.  As we wait, we wait with squinted eyes, and balmy palms.  Wondering if a coat or sunglasses are more appropriate.  You brace yourself for the breeze, but it isn’t chilled, although it looks like a day in the middle of april.  My body is confused and my head aches from the pressure in the air.

The strawberries are watery this year, but plump and beautiful.  As you pop one in your mouth, you prepare yourself for intense sweetness, but instead you are met with sweet juice akin to watermelon that has rippened too long.  It’s not a surprise really.  With all the rain we’ve had.

The dog lays quiet with the chickens now.  They preen and groom themselves by her side, unafraid of their gentle guardian who has accepted her role, and dismissed the idea of hunting them for sport.  For which I am relieved.  My heart swells with gratitude when I see Freyja outside with her flock, watching them carefully, and sounding the alarm when danger may be near.

The boys sit in dirt and gravel, covering themselves in the elements, playing, shouting, laughing….. they are good sounds.  I am happy vicariously as I see them imagine and pretend.  Their minds blank of worry and cares.  They are free in their own heads.  Their hearts are full of peace.  I try to tap into their effortless joy.

I find myself counting down days, instead of enjoying the ones I have.  My mind feels heavy with anticipation of the coming changes, whatever they may be.  Perhaps I am waiting for the garden to be ready for harvest, for the sun to shine intensely, for a break in the routine, for Seth to be done with school so he can be with us.  Whatever it is, I find myself wishing for the rain to release the tension so I can move on.

It is my goal to be thankful for this muggy weather, for this calm, for this lull.  The storms will come.  The rain will wash, the sun will heat, but I don’t want to miss the now.

 

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