tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903350485505880082024-03-05T10:41:24.606-08:00KnittyWhitAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09366300946512185715noreply@blogger.comBlogger661125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-790335048550588008.post-61476029239069794082016-10-13T09:33:00.002-07:002016-10-14T15:35:58.225-07:00Livin' Like It Was 1945 :: How Learning About WWII Helped Us Save Our HomeschoolSince switching to a more eclectic unschooling, delight directed learning model, homeschooling has become much less school-y and whiny, heaps more fun, and a lesson in life long learning for all in our home. Where curiosity reigns supreme and inquiries are a valuable commodity. It was ridiculously scary considering the "unschooler" label for our family. After month's of research (thanks to Susy Andres of <i>A Little Way of Homeschooling</i> fame and Julie Bogart of <i>Bravewriter </i>fame among others), encouraging friends from our new tribe, and a few wonderful experiences, that felt like coincidences actually, provided so much inspiration and knowledge. Going with my gut feeling all this time, before encountering these beautiful perspectives, i felt like i was on the verge of failing my kid. Was it terrifying? I'd be lying if i said it wasn't. That old crutch most of us know well, The Blindfold of Institutional Schooliness, was stripped from our face, and the world and it's opportunities could be seen in a new light, shining like the most beautiful Golden Hour you've ever seen. Brilliantly, i realise now from Cookie's perspective, that it was just the experience of not having TeacherMomzilla on her back, hounding her to get things done so she could "check boxes" on the To-Do List. It was also relief for me, in that i could keep my coveted job as Mom, and only Mom, thus maintaining my nurturing sensibilities (instead of trading them in for my Schoolmarm facade at a certain time each day). Hub's Last Nerve also caught a break because he didn't come home to an old fishwife, completely undone by a day of struggling with "his child". Amazingly, unschooling has preserved everyone's sanity because we aren't bickering each day as the head of the Teen Resistance Movement starts exercising those muscles that like to test the boundaries that worked when she was a smallish child needing limits. As much as the parent's don't like it, these teenlets need to be able to eloquently argue and win some family struggles, or i strongly feel they will be dumbed into submission for a greater portion of their young adult lives.<br />
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This outline of our efforts has two purposes: serving as a brain dump for us to document what it was we did to study WWII (which started the latter half of 2015), but also to give you an idea of the possibilities that adopting a delight directed learning style can do for your family, and for the relationship of the parent and child(ren) involved in the day to day world of home education. This list isn't meant to provide you with a "check list" of all things needing to be studied in a set amount of time, rather i offer this to hopefully inspire you to find what it is about a subject that intrigues your kidlet, then scour the libraries, museums, maps, Internet and see what you stumble on. It is truly amazing when you find yourself working as a team to unlock the mysteries lurking in your child's curiosity or mentoring your kidlet down a rabbit hole that has completely captivated their attention.<br />
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Soon after completing the books in the Molly McIntire American Girl series, Cookie said those fateful words: "I want to study World War II." I was at a loss for how or where to start on a topic so big (and frankly utterly devastating.) </div>
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<i>How was i going to cover heinous acts like concentration camps, </i></div>
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<i>Kristallnacht, Normandy, or the idea of families sending children away from war</i></div>
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<i> or daddies, brothers, grandpas never returning because they were killed in battle, </i></div>
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<i>Anne Frank, or the mass persecution of all religions with an 11 year old?</i></div>
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I asked her what, specifically, she was interested in about WWII, and she said she wanted to know what the experience must have been like for children around the world. <i>Whoa!</i><br />
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So as you can imagine, inspiration on The Internet was a bit lacking. Certainly she didn't quite know what she was asking for, and i knew i didn't want to dive right into the bloody battles, political ideologies, concentration camps, and the biggest elephant in the room--Hitler's psychological well being--for fear of creating anxiety and instilling fear in her about the world or a beautiful cultures over in Western Europe.<i> <a href="http://jimmiescollage.com/2010/04/world-war-2-lapbook/">Jimmie's Collage</a></i> blog was about the only resource i found useful at the time, except that my kidlet isn't a big fan of lapbooks. So we borrowed the idea of using <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/World-War-II-Kids-Activities/dp/1556524552/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1470670412&sr=8-1&keywords=World+War+II+for+Kids">World War II For Kids</a> </i>by Richard Panchyk as our guide through the time.<br />
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But we didn't start there right away. Something in my heart nagged at me that in order to cultivate critical thinking skills, we needed to start at the Great Depression, at the very least. Covering the result of WWI would be ideal. So we covered the Treaty of Versailles, focusing on the effects it had on the people and the government of Germany. Then we traveled ahead to the time just before the 1929 Crash.<br />
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Our booklist included:</div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Children-Great-Depression-Russell-Freedman/dp/0547480350">Children of the Great Depression</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dear-Mrs-Roosevelt-Children-Depression/dp/0807854131/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1470676087&sr=8-12&keywords=great+depression+children">Dear Mrs. Roosevelt</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Climbing-Out-Great-Depression-American/dp/1410931218/ref=sr_1_36?ie=UTF8&qid=1470676374&sr=8-36&keywords=great+depression+children">Climbing Out of the Great Depression</a> </div>
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Kit Kittredge American Girl books</div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Growing-Great-Depression-1929-America/dp/0822506556/ref=sr_1_47?ie=UTF8&qid=1470676374&sr=8-47&keywords=great+depression+children">Growing Up in the Great Depression</a> </div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bud-Buddy-Christopher-Paul-Curtis/dp/0553494104/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1470676709&sr=8-1&keywords=Bud%2C+Not+Buddy">Bud, Not Buddy</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sky-Boys-Built-Empire-Building/dp/0375865411/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1470676740&sr=8-1&keywords=Sky+Boys">The Sky Boys</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Luck-Buttons-Anne-Ylvisaker/dp/0763660612/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1470676801&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Luck+of+Buttons">The Luck of Buttons</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Stock-Market-Works-World-Economics/dp/1435894669/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1470676883&sr=8-1&keywords=How+the+Stock+Market+Works+by+Furgang">How the Stock Market Works</a></div>
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About this time, Ken Burns' Dust Bowl documentary happened to be on our PBS station, and we watched that in small increments. We had just returned from a vacation where one of the stops was the Hoover Dam, whose tour and museum afforded us the opportunity to learn about the Civilian Conservation Corps and the WPA and who's art deco stylings were strongly nodding back to our 1920's studies. It was exciting to be able to narrow down the bigger picture with family history, so Cookie would write letters to the grands asking if they remembered any stories from their parents about growing up in the Depression. We also found many photo libraries online with pictures, just a simple Google search will return many sources. Since one of her other passions is photography, we read a little about the FSA corp of photographers sent out to document the struggles across the nation, thanks to articles like <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/in-sight/wp/2016/02/16/how-one-group-of-photographers-saw-americas-great-depression/">this</a>. </div>
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It's amazing how when you are enamoured by a subject, news and other opportunities that you would have normally glanced right past now because golden nuggets of opportunity. We happened upon a biography we both adore entitled <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Candy-Bomber-Airlifts-Chocolate-Selection-ebook/dp/B00IBYYY1S/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470696524&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Candy+Bomber#navbar">The Candybomber</a> because of a news clip we saw on Uncle Wiggly Wings in a movie about members of the Mormon church. </div>
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By this time, Cookie could see her emotions were in for a roller coaster ride. </div>
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Which is why i think Cookie reverted back to a passion of hers: fashion. She started clawing through the Dewey391 section at the local library, procuring each and every book they had on historical fashion of the 1920's thru 1940's. She poured over books like Fashions of a Decade <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fashions-Decade-1920s-Jacqueline-Herald-ebook/dp/B00EOGFIU8/ref=dp_kinw_strp_1#navbar">1920's</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/1930s-Fashions-Decade-Costantino-2006-12-30/dp/B019TLZZ7I/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1470674683&sr=8-4&keywords=Fashions+of+a+Decade%3A+the+1930s">1930's</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fashions-Decade-1920s-Jacqueline-Herald-ebook/dp/0816067201/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1470674716&sr=8-2&keywords=Fashions+of+a+Decade%3A+the+1940s">1940's</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Centuries-American-Costume-Costumes-Paperback/dp/B00ZT0YXK4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1470674809&sr=8-3&keywords=five+centuries+of+american+costume">Five Centuries of American Costume</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Forties-Fifties-Utility-Century-Fashion/dp/0431095574/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1470674894&sr=8-1&keywords=20th+Century+Fashion+40%27s+and+50%27s">20th Century Fashion: The 40's &50's</a>. She would search YouTube for haristyles of the 40's and try them out on her American Girl dolls. And while she was slowly getting an introduction into Hollywood glamour, we started recording some of the classic movies on TCM. Soon, a new passion for B&W pre-1950's film was stoked and the DVR would beg for a reprieve.<br />
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Just a couple weeks in and all ready we were deviating from the "perfectly schooly" plan i had in mind. I mean, clearly you could only truly learn about children's experiences in WWII by methodically reading books about German children, English children, Japanese children, The Diary of Anne Frank and American children. Right? During this time it would have been really easy for me to discount these "delays" in our learning "objective", eh? Instead i took the time to challenge myself: observe her fulfilling her own curiousity and <i>chillax</i>, which coincidentally gave me more time to get household chores done and to read about how DDL and unschooly ways worked in the latter years of home education. In these early days, i was certain i was going to be messing up my teenlets education and i could vividly imagine this mad dash we'd have to do to cram for an 18 year old who would suddenly decide she wanted to go to University. To temper my anxiety, i distracted myself by compiling a list of historical fiction for her to read during this time, based on her desire to experience it from a child's perspective. (Links mean we've read them and can recommend them.)<br />
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That list includes:</div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Happy-Times-Norway-Sigrid-Undset-ebook/dp/B00FHLVXI0/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470694746&sr=1-1&keywords=Happy+Times+in+Norway#navbar">Happy Times in Norway</a> (Norway, just before the Nazi invasion)</div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Diary-Young-Girl-Anne-Frank/dp/8172345194/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470694775&sr=1-4&keywords=Diary+of+Anne+Frank">Diary of Anne Frank</a></div>
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Guest of War Trilogy: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sky-Falling-Guests-War-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B009TMVXRE/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470694968&sr=1-2&keywords=Guests+of+War+Trilogy+The+Sky+is+Falling#navbar">The Sky is Falling</a>, <i>Looking at the Moon, The Lights Go On Again</i> (British, during the Blitzkrieg)</div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Winged-Watchman-Hilda-van-Stockum-ebook/dp/B00NX2661O/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470694886&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Winged+Watchman#navbar">The Winged Watchman</a> (Dutch)</div>
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<i>The Hiding Place</i> (Jewish)</div>
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<i>In the Shadow of the Gestapo</i> (Norway, introduces pacifism)</div>
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<i>When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit</i></div>
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<i>Escape: Children of the Holocaust</i></div>
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<i>Hana's Suitcase</i> (modern Japan, historical Jewish family)</div>
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<i>Midnight in Broad Daylight</i> (Japanese in Western WA, internment camps)</div>
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<i>Farewell to Manzanar</i> (internment)</div>
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<i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004V3WS8O/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1">Parallel Journeys</a> </i>(comparing the childhood of a Jewish girl and a German boy in Nazi Germany)</div>
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And while on vacation this past spring (2016), she found <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013CATTRE/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1">The Girl in the Blue Coat</a> (Jewish) while perusing a bookstore. She now lists it as one of her favourite books.</div>
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Halloween rolled around and she decided she wanted to be Rosie the Riveter. Cookie made sure to assert her passions when she said an off-the-shelf Rosie costume wouldn't do, because the pants included wouldn't be to 1940's specifications. <i>Bless her heart. </i> So this desperate Momma pleaded with her fashion-conscience pre-teenlet to shop the thrifts to see if the 2nds gods would have mercy on us and plop a pair of vintage jeans or high waisted trousers in our hands. Alas, both of us hate shopping, so that was a short lived adventure. The screeching of metal hangers on old metal racks must of jarred open a dusty old catalog card drawer in the far reaches of my grey matter, because soon after waving the white flag to the monotony of thrifting for something so specific, i remembered i had read about a book one of my favourite sewing bloggers had written years before. Enter Cal Patch's book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Design---Yourself-Clothes-Patternmaking-Simplified/dp/0307451399/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1470678079&sr=8-1&keywords=Design+it+yourself+clothes">Design It Yourself Clothes</a>. Armed with our directions, a French curve, and a video on YouTube on how to use a French curve, soon we were drafting our own pattern for 1940's high-waisted trousers. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_AAKnG3q5eiqReF-zi9R1zmdmxFdHOfKhExTSK_TsVY8paKUOvaIDJzRjg43Nw7_gSqMUEJAbJM3FKZek9gamIgdwSo1q6W1ELpYrXgExmWAnwyk4ZLenudYluWurBz6dFAyt0SCp5Yif/s1600/IMG_0665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_AAKnG3q5eiqReF-zi9R1zmdmxFdHOfKhExTSK_TsVY8paKUOvaIDJzRjg43Nw7_gSqMUEJAbJM3FKZek9gamIgdwSo1q6W1ELpYrXgExmWAnwyk4ZLenudYluWurBz6dFAyt0SCp5Yif/s200/IMG_0665.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh56vg2LLjbUFawa7N0uWwPrQF1SYY_PHNtzGDc2Ox1qRFxLSA6JOigwXEjLTzSsoxXARp8gI8yVePTFhozlZsxi6cnkf6lVx7Og1p_WQeMXAlMVoj9kCAcuIHmIhK30poNTUDXa768mGdB/s1600/IMG_20141026_195440_845.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh56vg2LLjbUFawa7N0uWwPrQF1SYY_PHNtzGDc2Ox1qRFxLSA6JOigwXEjLTzSsoxXARp8gI8yVePTFhozlZsxi6cnkf6lVx7Og1p_WQeMXAlMVoj9kCAcuIHmIhK30poNTUDXa768mGdB/s200/IMG_20141026_195440_845.jpg" width="150" /></a>Cookie decided she wanted side button closures, because we learned zippers weren't widely used in women's clothing--they made removing articles of clothing so quick and easy and could lead to a reputation of ill repute for the woman wearing them. We also debated on whether new zippers would be made during WWII, with the metals going to more important things. Which also led Cookie to wonder if anyone had braces during WWII. We discussed that with resources so limited during the time of Rosies, women in this time most likely raided their man's closest to find appropriate work clothes to wear to their job at Boeing (a local employer of women during WWII), and so Cookie decided she would like to the pant legs long enough to roll up a few times.<br />
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We both learned a ton about sewing clothing, and as crazy as it sounds, drafting patterns was the easy part! I showed her some of the tricks i'd learned over the years with French seaming and darting. This project was when that little voice in my head that kept saying "This will never work. She should be in school@home, you know" started becoming harder to understand. Now Cookie says these are the only pants she enjoys wearing because they actually fit. Now if i could stop her from growing so we could just make a couple and i could retire my fabric measuring tape. :)<br />
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When we returned to World War II for Kids, we were bothered that they would introduce a name like Stalin, Poland, or Mussolini, but not really give any other in depth background info on the subject. So again we deviated from the script and started making it work for us.<br />
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Books we found: </div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Adolf-Hitler-Dictator-Germany-Signature/dp/0756515890/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1470681042&sr=8-1&keywords=Adolf+Hitler+by+Haugen">Adolf Hitler</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Winston-Churchill-Biography-James-Humes/dp/0789493187/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1470681188&sr=8-9&keywords=Winston+Churchill+by+Humes">Winston Churchill</a></div>
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and we found our library has streaming video of Churchhill's speeches from the WPA films.</div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Stalin-Dictator-Soviet-Signature/dp/0756515971/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1470681299&sr=8-1&keywords=Stalin+by+Haugen">Josef Stalin</a></div>
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Mussolini</div>
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FDR</div>
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Harry Truman</div>
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Charles de Gaulle</div>
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<span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(anything without a link are subjects we are still covering)</span></span></div>
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For the geography of WWII, we found a delightfully thorough series on countries called Enchantment of the World. Combined with Home School in the Wood's <a href="http://www.homeschoolinthewoods.com/mapsets.html">blank maps on CD</a>, we have been working our way through the locational geography contained within the books for:</div>
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Germany - <a href="https://www.amazon.com/England-Enchantment-World-Second-Blashfield/dp/0516248693/ref=sr_1_44?ie=UTF8&qid=1470681775&sr=8-44&keywords=Enchantment+of+the+world">England</a> - <a href="https://www.amazon.com/France-Enchantment-World-Second-Sonneborn/dp/0531256006/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1470682493&sr=8-1&keywords=Enchantment+of+the+world+france">France</a> - Poland - Norway - Japan - Austria</div>
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We typically r<span style="text-align: center;">ead the geography portion together while labeling the maps, and it is a little like putting a puzzle together. Something like "The Thames River is in the southwest of England, while the River Tweed is in the north, closer to Scotland." Having England, Germany, and France will be wonderful when we start reading from WWII for Kids again, because then we can plot the major turning points in the war, like The London Blitz, Kristalnacht, and Normandy. As we work along, i am finding it might be more beneficial to read the geography while we work on a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/France-Enchantment-World-Second-Sonneborn/dp/0531256006/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1470682493&sr=8-1&keywords=Enchantment+of+the+world+france">GeoPuzzle of Europe</a> for countries that had minor conflicts in them, apart from being overwhelmed and folded into the Nazi empire. And as countries come up, i'll add them.</span></div>
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Once we started focusing on these individual countries, these divine journeys unraveled before our eyes. To give you an idea of how all this worked to help us relax and let me let her take hold of the reins of her learning, here is a snapshot from our time "in England". We've spent quite a bit time down the rabbit hole that is England. As it started to unfold, we were reading a book about Winston Churchill when also found brilliant historical reality shows from the BBC like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdOkTeXREa8">The 1940's House</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyzwspcR_gg">Turn Back Time</a>.<br />
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Since she enjoys cooking, Cookie thought it would be interesting to find some recipes for British food. As it would turn out, we would get a recipe for British pancakes from a British friend of ours who also informed us that the UK celebrates a sort of National Pancake Day on Shrove Tuesday, just before Ash Wednesday. So of course we did that. We found a UK grocer in our area and had lunch. Cookie rolled the dice and chose a sammie out of her comfort zone with a key ingredient called Branston Pickle, and discovered she *loves* it (it's a chutney like substance consisting of carrots, turnips and other root veg in tomatoes and spices.) We shopped for British groceries that we could only find there, picking up a smattering of candies and baked goods to try at home with Dad, and of course Branston Pickle and Lyle's Golden Syrup (for the pancakes.) We also made a delicious meat pie from Jamie Oliver that was apparently offered at Will & Kate's wedding.<br />
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We stumbled upon a cool exhibit at the Seattle Public Library. Shakespeare's First and Third Folio were coming to visit the library. Seeing this stoked a curiousity about his books. We discovered The Great British Baking Show, which is quickly consumed on the DVR with baking tips and recipes being noted for our own experiments later. Cookie loves analyzing the sounds of the different British accents.<br />
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She started becoming curious about our heritage, and an interest in genealogy was born. She found out most of our ancestry is centred in Europe, which led back to wondering about who from our families might have served in WWII. Another rabbit trail we are in the throws of charting the course for.<br />
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Soon the holidays were quickly thrusting themselves on us, and by December we were eager to slide into Yule School mode. This is an excellent tip i had implemented the year before. The holidays are all ready crazy enough, why should be try to add all the "schoolwork" on top of all the holiday events we are excited to attend? We spent some time mapping out ideas: Christmas books to read, holiday baking, caroles to sing, decorating to do, cards to send. We found English party crackers to wrap the cousins' gifts in. We attended "The Sound of Music" at the 5th Avenue Theatre with friends, then after visited The Gingerbread Village, who's theme this year was Star Wars (which, if you think about it, is basically an eerily updated version of Germany and France during WWII, eh?) Earlier in the year, Cookie had increased interest in learning German, so during Yule School we learned German vocab for the Christmas season. For the advent calendar, i made a list of activities she could do. Most were a-doodle-a-day style, with breaks built in there for feast days and field trips, which could also serve as catch up drawing days. All this, plus recitals and dance competitions, and we were still relaxed. Relaxed enough to invite my folks over for a last minute Christmas visit for a few days.<br />
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Once January rolled around, we were looking for ways to ease back into the subject. We watched many war era films and read some historical fiction related to WWII. Once we discovered <a href="http://www.moma.org/explore/inside_out/2011/06/07/why-we-fight-frank-capras-wwii-propaganda-films/">Frank Capra's "Why We Fight" </a>series, we were back in full swing. We added <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fallacy-Detective-Thirty-Eight-Recognize-Reasoning/dp/0974531537">The Fallacy Detective</a>'s lessons on propaganda to our daily reading list, to help with deciphering the propaganda we were encountering.<br />
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Our movie list includes:</div>
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Casablanca (1942)</div>
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Mrs. Miniver (1942)<br />
Journey For Margaret (1942)</div>
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The More the Merrier (1943)</div>
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Tender Comrade (1943)</div>
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Lifeboat (1944)</div>
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I'll Be Seeing You (1944)</div>
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Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944)<br />
A Guy Named Joe (1944)</div>
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Christmas in Connecticut (1945)</div>
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The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)</div>
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White Christmas (1954)<br />
Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) (post war)</div>
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The Longest Day (1962)</div>
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Miracle of the White Stallions (1963)</div>
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The Sound of Music (1965)</div>
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<i>Assisi Underground (1985)</i></div>
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Rosie the Riveter (2001)</div>
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Magic of Ordinary Days (2005)</div>
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The Monuments Men (2014)</div>
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By February in Seattle, everyone's itchy for a distraction from the grey skies, so we headed to Leavenworth to experience a little Bavaria. We used some of our German to decipher menus and groceries, we enjoyed learning more about the Bavarian culture from flags to art to food to music in this little town. We also picked up <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ticket-Ride-Europe-Board-Game/dp/0975277367/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470693710&sr=1-1&keywords=A+Ticket+to+Ride++Europe">A Ticket to Ride Europe</a> game to play to help reinforce European geography while having a fun time.<br />
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After we arrived home dazzled by German American culture, we found a German deli near us that we frequent for homemade pretzels and desserts with an amazing deli, where we are still learning about the different types of meats and cheeses available. We pick up interesting looking groceries. We scan the magazines, to see if there are sentences we can read without a dictionary. Later, we visited the Norwegian Heritage Museum and a Scandinavian deli. Next up to try is the French grocer and bakery in Seattle.<br />
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And so it goes, seamlessly moving through the cultures. We learn so much more than any textbook could teach us this way, i can't even imagine trying to keep up with a checklist like this--if i had made it before hand it would have been more like a "chore list". Amazing how much you can really do when you are fueling passions instead of checking off a checklist. I would feel defeated before we even started looking at a list this long. That is why it is important to find your child's interest, the angle from which they want to experience this, so that the passion propels you forward.<br />
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Field trips are imperative for this age, i believe. It's the hands on, the experience, getting out in the world and being among all different kinds of people and opinions that is most beneficial in the teenage years. Look around...you will find so many things that can apply to your WWII studies. Especially interesting is bring it home and seeing what it was like in your town, your county, your state during the War. We found this book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/War-Years-Chronicle-Washington-State/dp/0295980761/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1476375751&sr=1-2&keywords=The+War+Years+Washington+State">The War Years</a>, helpful in identifying significant places to visit in our area.<br />
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Some of our field trips/lectures were:</div>
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<i>Jefferson Co. Historical Society</i>, Port Townsend, WA</div>
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<i>Fort Warden</i>, Port Townsend, WA (<a href="http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=7524">The Triangle of Fire</a>)</div>
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<i>Bonner Co. Historical Society</i>, Sandpoint, ID - <i>Fashions of the 40's & 50's</i> exhibit where we saw everything from fashion to home decor, and a wedding dress made from the husband's parachute he used in WWII. There was a special display on Idaho-born Lana Turner's USO performances.</div>
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<i>Bird Aviation Museum, </i>Sagle, ID - military planes and medical inventions.</div>
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<i>Farragut WWII Naval Training Museum, </i>Coeur d'Alene, ID</div>
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<i>White River Museum, </i>Auburn, WA "Handmade in Camps"</div>
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<i>Kent Historical Society</i>, <a href="http://gkhs.org/kent-stories/kents-japanese-community-uprooted/">lecture</a> on Japanese internment camps from family displaced from the area to <a href="http://www.heartmountain.org/">Heart Mountain, WY</a> and <a href="http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=8748">Camp Harmony</a></div>
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<i>Holocaust Center for Humanity</i>, Seattle, WA - Exhibit from Anne Frank House Amsterdam.</div>
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Don't forget to chat with your community too. People we run into at church are living bits of history, some served in the war and are happy to share their stories to this day. One gentleman was in battles in the Pacific. Another woman we know has shared toys and items she has carried all this time from her childhood. One family has an aluminum roasting pan that was supposed to be turned in during metal collections and never was. We've found examples of Shiny Brites for the Christmas tree, one is aluminum coated on the inside (pre- or post-war) and another is clear glass with painted decorations (manufactured during the war when metal was in demand.) Another woman we visited with remembers growing up in San Diego. Her school hosted the Hawaiian children who survived Pearl Harbor attacks. She remembers the air raid drills and how the Hawaiian children would freeze in terror, while the Californian children found it to be like an extra recess. She remembered a beach that she and her friends used to frequent, suddenly being off limits and after the war discovered artillery bunkers had been erected nearby. She remembers air raid wardens coming by and scolding her parents for leaving the black out curtains open and remembers them talking about a Japanese sub being detected in the bay. These are things we thought only the Brits dealt with. I was able to show Cookie some of my pictures from the concentration camp i went to while in Germany and share with her the time my German host dad shared his story about being recruited to the Hitler Youth.<br />
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Last year, we also tried our hand at a victory garden. First we designed our own war propaganda posters, then we planted a 20 x 20 plot with lettuces, kale, onions, squash, pumpkins, rhubarb, beans, beets, corn, and flowers. We are blessed to live on a farm, so chickens are part of our day to day routine. We also have 12+ apple trees, 3 pear, 12+ blueberries, plums, and 100ft of grapes. We've been experimenting with herbs and learning their medicinal uses as well, as our place used to be an herb farm. And canning and preserving have been something we've been doing for years that fit in with the times.</div>
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It is truly humbling what we have learned in the past year, and i feel it is the best way to have experienced it. I know too well what her experience would have been in traditional school. There would have been a wink at WWII, maybe focused only on Anne Frank, if they were lucky to have worked that far in the textbook before school let out of the summer. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxtHWI5UbSKNWz7BSj3jHTEBYC4GId7SvPSKq3TqakwbJQfNmjvW1GQMpd1V8Re1s1LRMNxtvuBNSPqOg-hOiJQRq1hdtLWOcsSHOafK6iFUn-UgqDNctEjwpeZbR14ieFppk8IYyDKDYP/s1600/IMG_20160513_115958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxtHWI5UbSKNWz7BSj3jHTEBYC4GId7SvPSKq3TqakwbJQfNmjvW1GQMpd1V8Re1s1LRMNxtvuBNSPqOg-hOiJQRq1hdtLWOcsSHOafK6iFUn-UgqDNctEjwpeZbR14ieFppk8IYyDKDYP/s320/IMG_20160513_115958.jpg" width="320" /></a>Now that Cookie is wanting to move along to the Civil War, i'd like to ensure we've gotten the big picture of WWII down. In sharing this with a friend, she pointed me to the <a href="http://www.coreknowledge.org/download-the-sequence">Core Knowledge</a> sequence. We've been going through the list, and amazingly we can check off most topics because our meandering course has encountered them. Covering the "Rise of Totalitarianism" gave us a chance to talk about a few of the different political views represented by the people in power during WWII. She made this great mind map while we investigated the differences between communism, facism, socialism, totalitarianism, and democracy. Racial doctrines were covered in our visit to the Anne Frank exhibit at the Holocaust Center in Seattle. We still need to investigate a good deal of America's response to the war and the Manhattan Project.<br />
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Coincidentally, all these ways of governing were so relative to what we were hearing come out of the US Primaries, so it was a great way to draw connections to and understand rhetoric and propaganda during this election cycle. My kidlet had the knowledge to deliver insightful opinions based on what she had learned so far about the entire climate surrounding the rise of Hitler and compare it to issues she sees today in our current events. Her insights were blowing me away, because i hadn't heard anything as good from adults i've chatted with.<br />
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When we watched the early Star Wars movies of her parents' youth, she quickly drew connections to the Nazis when she saw for the first time Darth Vader and the Stormtroopers assembled together. And when we watched <i><b>The Force Awakens</b></i>, she pondered why Finn didn't know his mother or father. A discussion ensued and we proposed that maybe he was a product of something like the Nazis "Master Race Breeding Camps", which horrified us both.<br />
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And now that this is written out, i can see more holes in the topics covered that we could go back and visit if we have down time later. The Black American Migration, more could be covered on the Roosevelt family, the rise of union labourers. <br />
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Unschooling has been the best method yet for our family. To investigate with passion and enthusiasm. To wander until curiosity wanes naturally; there is no end--no feeling that we've learned all there is to know about that because the box is checked. The subject can be returned to at any time. Or all the time again. To have the time to digest the information and find how it relates in our life. And now to plan to include her desires to investigate genealogy with our history studies, letting our family trees dictate where we time travel to next. I only wish each child could be given this gift of time to leisurely follow their passions. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09366300946512185715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-790335048550588008.post-10928712424678297072014-08-13T14:00:00.002-07:002014-08-13T14:00:44.150-07:00Been a While...Life is completely upside down from our old life...but in a decidedly good way.<br />
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See for yourself.<br />
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From this</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmnknZYMIJpbv8-Hh-Gs6vVz-Xsn2lrCBgJkMA-8YgtyNneFIXw2i36SnQ-t41c64Fb8yUvt7PiEutpVjf8_EKPV0QQQU7Z6TAA_hxpOPBl3n8dSdTlN4DVwXFOH2UVLzlYpl6j46KGEM/s1600/2012-03-25_12-23-59_584.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmnknZYMIJpbv8-Hh-Gs6vVz-Xsn2lrCBgJkMA-8YgtyNneFIXw2i36SnQ-t41c64Fb8yUvt7PiEutpVjf8_EKPV0QQQU7Z6TAA_hxpOPBl3n8dSdTlN4DVwXFOH2UVLzlYpl6j46KGEM/s1600/2012-03-25_12-23-59_584.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">driving down the highway in our 'hood</td></tr>
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to this</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_PQaIg9GY-FH3qwgSs1tjCbf4ob85oeEyAJ1gqaY6ZpFEcX3RqzfhDjqgoweQzFqVmFg0oHqmBhXbTCKjwt9h04INuQyF-MxNsFGBVGPVwidxiptHZb8X6rW013c9ZfARMcRponTLGbo/s1600/2012-03-25_12-52-30_34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_PQaIg9GY-FH3qwgSs1tjCbf4ob85oeEyAJ1gqaY6ZpFEcX3RqzfhDjqgoweQzFqVmFg0oHqmBhXbTCKjwt9h04INuQyF-MxNsFGBVGPVwidxiptHZb8X6rW013c9ZfARMcRponTLGbo/s1600/2012-03-25_12-52-30_34.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">driving down the country road.</td></tr>
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View from the old kitchen,</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixULlrq72Gv_kvy7ZarldCtUfZNSP3tYTV_zYSj_FtBrwI9rNftXqYO5jn_RpYSoauFdp4wrIn1KrFF8sitkAyN1MONtS6Yj2dTyS2vLJ2tbxnBm5NuTK7hXBpAMZy3VUUilwNmwwJiZM/s1600/2012-03-25_08-19-47_976.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixULlrq72Gv_kvy7ZarldCtUfZNSP3tYTV_zYSj_FtBrwI9rNftXqYO5jn_RpYSoauFdp4wrIn1KrFF8sitkAyN1MONtS6Yj2dTyS2vLJ2tbxnBm5NuTK7hXBpAMZy3VUUilwNmwwJiZM/s1600/2012-03-25_08-19-47_976.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hi neighbour.</td></tr>
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view from the new kitchen</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOqcBt7Vwytrk_q4cBaCCdE3cHzSprLv9GT5qkF4Rhwl1bw_KLJg5KDua4f3xSyY3GIhEOEfkv_oD9cXaAPJMF-6Rnt6Jjsrof48nx61eOAtqRlAL-EaCJgz83NSe2v-rS_nEGK2GTHZU/s1600/2012-03-11_17-01-09_229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOqcBt7Vwytrk_q4cBaCCdE3cHzSprLv9GT5qkF4Rhwl1bw_KLJg5KDua4f3xSyY3GIhEOEfkv_oD9cXaAPJMF-6Rnt6Jjsrof48nx61eOAtqRlAL-EaCJgz83NSe2v-rS_nEGK2GTHZU/s1600/2012-03-11_17-01-09_229.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moo, neighbours!</td></tr>
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All this, and we now have a dining room with a built-in live action theatre of the chicken pastures.<br />
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Life is good! Hope you have been well too!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09366300946512185715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-790335048550588008.post-22746721131131909292013-02-28T16:06:00.001-08:002013-02-28T16:06:39.434-08:00The Grand FinaleWow, February is over, eh? Where did it go, i wonder? Thankfully, with it's end means we are that much closer to being done with our house in the suburbs. Closing date is drawing near!<br />
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In honour of that, i have one last project to share. This one was the coup de grase to our "to do" list for 3817. It was a project i always wanted to do that involved a rather unfortunate fireplace in a wonderfully spacious daylight basement. At the time of it's design, basements in houses weren't all tricked out like they are nowadays.<br />
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The room was effectively a second living room. It was also the first thing you see when you walked up to our front door, making relaxing in the space with your pjs on quite hard. :) It had no finished look about it, especially because of the cinder block fireplace facade running up the focal wall. <br />
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When we first moved in, the fireplace was a hazard and unusable. Smoke billowed into the room anytime we tried to light something in it. After a huge ice storm and consequential 4 day power outage, we installed a fireplace insert to make the fireplace functional. As you can imagine, putting one of those beautiful black metal stove inserts in a cinder block wall kinda looks like putting newly refurbished red leather and chrome seats in an old rusted out Mustang '66 1/2. :) <br />
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Once we decided to move, i pleaded with Moose to finish that wall. It would be such a shame to leave something so ugly unfinished, when it didn't take too much money to complete it too. <br />
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We visited a couple of stores, and finally found a tile that worked with the brown tile that was already in place. I was a huge fan of the accent tiles, and we found a way to incorporate them. Moose and i designed the accent to work as a sort of mantle...breaking up the wall and providing more weight to the area to counteract the low ceilings. I hope that it keeps the craftsman feel we tried to intro to the house.<br />
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What do you think?<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8301229@N06/8517430282/" title="IMG_0782 by Whit-2-tis, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0782" height="240" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8518/8517430282_334748978c_n.jpg" width="320" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8301229@N06/8517431060/" title="IMG_0379 by Whit-2-tis, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0379" height="240" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8241/8517431060_f01210b344_n.jpg" width="320" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8301229@N06/8517431814/" title="IMG_0376 by Whit-2-tis, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0376" height="320" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8506/8517431814_8c2e0f4d5c_n.jpg" width="240" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8301229@N06/8516317613/" title="IMG_0371 by Whit-2-tis, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0371" height="240" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8245/8516317613_fc1cb26618_n.jpg" width="320" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8301229@N06/8516311043/" title="IMG_0380 by Whit-2-tis, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0380" height="320" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8090/8516311043_72fbd5c95b_n.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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I hope the new owners will enjoy it very much, and i hope we use this lesson as a reminder to do home improvement before you leave, so you can reap the rewards of your labour and enjoy your creativity. :) Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09366300946512185715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-790335048550588008.post-75859649875707680422013-01-31T19:05:00.001-08:002013-01-31T19:05:31.925-08:00The Things I'll MissBefore we put our house on the market, i wanted to document the things i will miss about it. I went through it to take pictures of things i always liked about it. I think it's helped me process...it's not so much the house i'll miss as much as the stories that are housed within it. <br />
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The Nursery:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8301229@N06/8433316135/" title="Seaside by Whit-2-tis, on Flickr"><img alt="Seaside" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8475/8433316135_fe4257168c.jpg" width="500" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8301229@N06/8433315519/" title="Seaside 2 by Whit-2-tis, on Flickr"><img alt="Seaside 2" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8492/8433315519_776a953131.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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This room has the distinction of being the first room Moose and i designed together. We were eager to carve out a space for a baby after we were married, and decided we wanted to inspire our child with the gifts of the sea: lighthouses, sand dunes, waves, sea critters. We found the border at a local paint store and chose colours from it, painting the walls a sand colour and the ceiling the colour of the sky. We decorated with sea shells and sand dollars from trips to Oregon and lots of sea themed gifts were received when Cookie was born. Grandma made curtains and bedspreads. We collected lighthouses and driftwood to add to the space. And books. Lots of books.
Eventually, this was Cookie's big kid room, complete with big girl twin bed and a little kitchen so she had a little studio apartment for her and her stuffies. :)
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Our room<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8301229@N06/8433316985/" title="Bedroom 2 by Whit-2-tis, on Flickr"><img alt="Bedroom 2" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8045/8433316985_ee3fa6f206.jpg" width="500" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8301229@N06/8434399628/" title="Bedroom by Whit-2-tis, on Flickr"><img alt="Bedroom" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8196/8434399628_e021435c51.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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This room was my favourite because it was our bedroom under the trees. Some nights you could lay in bed and moon gaze. On 4th of July it was great to watch the firework shows linger perched up in bed. The thing i'll miss the most is the paint. After my miscarriage, i choose this project as a distraction. I spent hours and hours focusing on rolling paint on the walls, helping my heart to heal rather than spiraling into the desperate "whys" of it all. It was my therapy. Once we were all finished with the house, i couldn't help but take Moose in there for one last kiss goodnight in our first bedroom. :)<br />
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Wooden Stairs<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8301229@N06/8434404744/" title="Wooden Stairs by Whit-2-tis, on Flickr"><img alt="Wooden Stairs" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8228/8434404744_f9a8dd9902.jpg" width="375" /></a>
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I've always been partial to wooden stairs. There's something old fashioned about them.<br />
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The Intercom<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8301229@N06/8434403962/" title="Nutone intercom by Whit-2-tis, on Flickr"><img alt="Nutone intercom" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8094/8434403962_57b854c8ec.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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This is something i wished we would have gotten around to. When we first moved in you could catch AM radio on it, but soon after it gave up the ghost. It needed new tubes, or just to be rebuilt with a wireless hub on it would have been great. I would have loved to have it to talk to each other in such a big house. And as a way to answer the front door. :)
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The Craft Room<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8301229@N06/8434397740/" title="Craft Room by Whit-2-tis, on Flickr"><img alt="Craft Room" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8086/8434397740_d7a0de7b01.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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The best thing about this room is the colours...Belgium Chocolate and Lotus Flower. It's the room design where i learned that for me, ceilings look so much better in a creamy, off-white colour in an area where grey skies rule 9 months out of the year. :)<br />
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The Bathroom<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8301229@N06/8434400328/" title="beautiful sink by Whit-2-tis, on Flickr"><img alt="beautiful sink" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8351/8434400328_39e0d6495b.jpg" width="500" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8301229@N06/8433311929/" title="Tiled Shower by Whit-2-tis, on Flickr"><img alt="Tiled Shower" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8327/8433311929_ed7e7be44e.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />
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This is a heavenly little bathroom full of vintage goodness. I love, love, love the tile walls and the original cast tub. I documented the sink's design very well, because i would like to replicate it here in our new space. The sink is undermounted, and water was retained in the sink space, rather than left pooling around the entire counter. :)<br />
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Period Light Fixtures<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8301229@N06/8434396990/" title="Hall Light by Whit-2-tis, on Flickr"><img alt="Hall Light" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8046/8434396990_a006d25bfd.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Some of these glass light fixtures in the house were great. I could have brought them all with me, but in the end, i could only bring my favourite. It's really sad when houses get their originality gutted out of them. Maybe the buyers will do that, but i hope people are waking up to the history and cultural assets in these old homes. They are like the wrinkles and freckles and crooked toes that makes us people all different from one another. This light fixture i will miss the most...with the copper coloured base and neat design in the glass. Copper always reminds me of my dad...<br />
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In the end, all these things are just that...things. They pale in comparison with the people that i love, the happiness we've found in our new community, the opportunities we have laying ahead of us. They will only play a small part in my life's story...as part of the place where my new little family began when i became a grown-up.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09366300946512185715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-790335048550588008.post-43206742287658221492013-01-22T10:47:00.000-08:002013-01-22T10:47:04.730-08:00Living Room ProjectThe living room fireplace is a gem of a deal...it's huge and double sided, ajoining with the room we had our dining room in. It's about as big as a ski lodge fire place...but the outside didn't really do anything to emphasize it. <br />
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The worst thing about it was the fact the mantle was made out of concrete slabs that were just affixed to the wall with metal brackets. One of the panels had been lean ever since i moved in, and i was always afraid of what was going to happen to it or the floor when it eventually broke away.<br />
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Now, i would have loved to taken out all the concrete, and remodelled the whole thing. I had a few ideas while we lived there--like may cut out the walls around it, open up both spaces to each other, and finish the walls in the beautiful peach coloured brick like what was in the dining room. I also thought maybe it would be best to leave the walls intact and just focus on a very dramatic facade for this side in the living room--something reminiscent of the wooden mantlepieces of the late 1800s/early 1900's with the columns mirrors above a thick mantle, fireplace opening with a tricked out tile surround and a tiled hearth underneath. There are so many things you could do with this. <br />
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And while i would have loved to finish this project, there was no way we could budget it, especially with our intent to sell. <br />
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So we asked for a rebuilt mantle to at least make the area safe. Unfortunately, it's not as big as it needs to be to keep the design's scale looking right, but at least it is safe. But these days, it's all time is money with contractors...and you really have to put your foot down with them. Which we did...but for a project that was much more important that i will show you later. :)<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8301229@N06/8405284517/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" title="IMG_0356 by Whit-2-tis, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0356" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8213/8405284517_61c8e384b2.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8301229@N06/8406378900/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_0357 by Whit-2-tis, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0357" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8331/8406378900_c94cd1b879.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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I can't get over how much it looks like a dance hall in there now. :) The house really did have a ton of space that i wish i had a fraction of now. But truly, i couldn't see it for all the stuff that was "in" the house, because of lack of good functional storage. That wall around the fireplace should be flanked with bookcases and cabinets. It should hold things like magazines, books, toys, phone books, a craft basket or two. All the things that just laid on the beautiful wood floors before. There is a lesson to be learned here. And it can be implimented at my new little house. :)</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09366300946512185715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-790335048550588008.post-39149304171352376592013-01-16T12:15:00.002-08:002013-01-16T12:15:51.485-08:00Almost Ready for Market<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8301229@N06/8387760744/" title="Kent Home by Whit-2-tis, on Flickr"><img alt="Kent Home" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8222/8387760744_079ba76930.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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We've been spending our free time up at the old house again--for the final push before market. I am excited to show you some of the projects we have been working on. This house is almost unrecognizible to the one we moved into as newlyweds. Over the 12 years Moose and i lived there, the carpet was replaced, and removed again to reveal hardwoods, the aluminum windows were replaced with wood, all the beige kitchen appliances were eventually replaced with black and stainless steel models when they kicked the bucket, dated and unfunctional 1960's light fixtures were replaced. Tons of experiments in paint color and decorating were conducted and much was learned here. The exterior was repainted when we did the windows. The yard was a blank slate of grass when we moved in, and we enjoyed shopping for trees and plants we added for interest and food.
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Lots more things to memorialize, the contractor is done with his sprucing up projects, and now grime detail is in full swing, but i'll start with this first project.<br />
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She just got her exterior all spit-shined this past week. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8301229@N06/8386679933/" title="Kent Home by Whit-2-tis, on Flickr"><img alt="Kent Home" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8329/8386679933_6e0c731b78.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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The front garden has been completely detailed. Wishing we had done this when we lived there. So much more room to plant now for the new owner's to be--the grass was hand dug out by a yard crew of men in one afternoon. If it was mine, i would got through and plant the entire thing with herbs, more berry bushes, and lots of perennials flowers.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8301229@N06/8387762912/" title="Kent Home by Whit-2-tis, on Flickr"><img alt="Kent Home" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8515/8387762912_9fdbb6d758.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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They tore through the sod in the rockeries. I did this once the first summer i lived at the place. What a job! Most likely it will grow back in a couple months, with the warm weather and sunshine, but it looks nicer now than ever.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8301229@N06/8387757576/" title="Kent Home by Whit-2-tis, on Flickr"><img alt="Kent Home" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8196/8387757576_e1f6c7726c.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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With housing inventories plummeting in the Seattle region, we are hoping these projects we've spent the last year tackling make for a quick sale, at full price. We shall see.....<br />
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more on new projects tomorrow<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09366300946512185715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-790335048550588008.post-72843997883759590202013-01-16T11:38:00.001-08:002013-01-16T11:38:14.490-08:00A Wicked Oz-some Birthday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Last weekend was Cookie Monster's Wizard of Oz Spa Birthday Tea Party. </div>
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<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">(whew! that's a mouthful!)</span></em></div>
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Thankfully, the group of girls we had over are totally Oz-some and sweet </div>
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and had a super time together.</div>
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Always looking for ways to cut the waste of these parties, a few ideas came to mind.</div>
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We decorated our dining room with these classic and reusable decorations:</div>
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a golden garland for the Yellow Brick Road and</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm6urQm5aZtJJtxasn-xGrPGvxn7V4JkW4nUVHoIQ8DEAgG_crfxZOXX3p82Hx19AgJYasHSqm0aW69A1RTAMeVFWHSm-t-8IWjd2N5LXSlHUaGnCVpp5_hIGXaMimXuDZH9uklJutnaw/s1600/IMG_1526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm6urQm5aZtJJtxasn-xGrPGvxn7V4JkW4nUVHoIQ8DEAgG_crfxZOXX3p82Hx19AgJYasHSqm0aW69A1RTAMeVFWHSm-t-8IWjd2N5LXSlHUaGnCVpp5_hIGXaMimXuDZH9uklJutnaw/s320/IMG_1526.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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and these little spiral doo-hickies that resembled tornadoes.</div>
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We also pulled out a few Thanksgiving decorations like a scarecrow and a pumpkin for a little flare.<br />
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The tea was the best part of the party. Listening to the girls sitting and chatting, while taking turns serving each other melted my heart and brought a big goofy smile to my face.<br />
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Around here, we enjoy our teas. Each year, when we celebrate our family's special events at a locally owned tea house, we pick up an item or two to add to our tea service at home. So our small stirring spoons, serving ware, and tiered stand came in handy for our party. <br />
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Since we keep our gatherings intimate, we only needed four place settings at our table. I decided to gather dinnerware from the thrift stores, not only because it was more economical when i caught a 50% of dishes at Goodwill, but also it would cut down on waste (we're just donating the items back to the thrift now that we're done with them.) More importantly, it made the party a bit more special--it's always exciting to use grown up plates and glasses when you're a kid, eh? <br />
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The mismatched plates and fancy pants glasses i found for 50 cents a piece. I found adorable floral cloth napkins that we will be saving for everyday. Who can't use more cloth napkins, eh? We used was Cookie's Great Grandmother's silverware.<br />
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I found a milk glass vase for $4 that served a tropical fruit salad with style. They also dined on scones with homemade jam and homemade lemon curd, grapes, and devilled eggs that we served on the 3 tier serving rack lined with thrift plates from my china collection.<br />
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A sweet little etched glass dish ($1 at the thrift) was filled with marshmellows, resembling lumps of sugar for they girls' hot chockie "tea" that we served in this green drangonfly teapot that we already had. <br />
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We had these cute little espresso cups in our china cabinet that we used as "tea" cups. Thankfully, one of Cookie's friends has family from England, so she showed the everyone how to pour tea properly.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Gsxmb6iEJFl-GQYtbMucvcIjRcPTaK7p0px7bK5a6yyPSfcgDIDkAF1UY7WelNYkM5FqZ_xGgqwFNC6HLvBQVWuJ7hZXwfwakJ4k_sKq6FvA0U0NwxB-NNN7m9BCD9w_Imj84J6OKUI/s1600/IMG_1528.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Gsxmb6iEJFl-GQYtbMucvcIjRcPTaK7p0px7bK5a6yyPSfcgDIDkAF1UY7WelNYkM5FqZ_xGgqwFNC6HLvBQVWuJ7hZXwfwakJ4k_sKq6FvA0U0NwxB-NNN7m9BCD9w_Imj84J6OKUI/s320/IMG_1528.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They played some Twister</td></tr>
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The main event at our party was making personal care items which doubled as party favours. We made bath salts and sugar scrub with household items. Our tricky project was making lip balm. We sourced the materials from a company online called The Sage. They had a vegan lip balm base and we ordered a couple different flavourings for the lip balm, which we also used in the salts. The girls made a lip balm for their moms and themselves, which left half of a jar for us to use in our Christmas gifts this year.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLeW3CLLc4HTqHd6EUV_a2G9XgCmKSW6WENLywr1yHxs7yHX5RnINp-K_vAQFDcei2z69EY47SZO-7i-7JNtnfIvRxkIFYPeAq6GZAguf_l1x_ViN9I9f7qShGhSqIOLMdlz6mOKb_ELQ/s1600/IMG_1531.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLeW3CLLc4HTqHd6EUV_a2G9XgCmKSW6WENLywr1yHxs7yHX5RnINp-K_vAQFDcei2z69EY47SZO-7i-7JNtnfIvRxkIFYPeAq6GZAguf_l1x_ViN9I9f7qShGhSqIOLMdlz6mOKb_ELQ/s320/IMG_1531.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mixing up some sugar scrub</td></tr>
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We made these funky labels for our spa goodies which we packaged in recycled jars.</div>
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"Dorothy's Bath Salts...guaranteed to melt your troubles away."</div>
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"Toto's Sugar Scrub...makes you wag your tail."</div>
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and "Frankly, It's Lip 'Baum'".</div>
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Yeah, i know that last one was a stretch, but we just couldn't help ourselves. :)</div>
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I also knitted face clothes for the girls from some cotton yarn i had in my stash.</div>
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Cookie made labels for the bags from large gift tags stamped with characters from Oz...she decided that if her friends were clever enough, they could reuse them as bookmarks. :)</div>
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And just like that, we had a fancy little tea party, building great memories with friends, and without a lot of fuss or items filling up our trash bin!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09366300946512185715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-790335048550588008.post-74281912358525318802013-01-11T22:22:00.004-08:002013-01-14T08:52:36.758-08:00Follain Farm VideoWe decided we needed a way to show people our farm, better than a few photos posted on a Facebook time line.<br />
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I created this video, my first ever, with lots of technical help from Cookie, and Moose's editorial prowess. Amazing what can happen with a few good pictures and movie maker software. UPDATE: and a sweet song download. :)<br />
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What do you think?<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/FmaiMDuwQEI?rel=0" width="420"></iframe><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09366300946512185715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-790335048550588008.post-24968567960076938622013-01-07T13:40:00.002-08:002013-01-07T13:40:29.499-08:00It's Official :: Our Farmstand is Open for Business<div style="text-align: center;">
This weekend we decided on a farm name. </div>
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There were quite a few names contending for the spot. We wanted something catchy. Something unique. We veered off into corny territory but then we made a u-turn. (Because really would anyone buy food from a farm called The Happy Hooligan?) </div>
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We settled on something Gaelic. Not only to honor our Irish roots, but because of our love for the culture. It is also a name that translates into why we started this adventure in growing our own food.</div>
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I invite you to meet</div>
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/FollainFarm"><strong><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-size: x-large;"><em>Follain Farm</em></span></strong></a></div>
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Click on our new farm name above to learn more about our new farm stand, currently selling eggs. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09366300946512185715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-790335048550588008.post-91121147115881771492013-01-04T18:41:00.002-08:002013-01-04T18:47:22.976-08:00UFC December Challenge :: Make it a Simple Christmas This month's challenge wasn't too far from what we normally do every year at Christmastime.<br />
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I've always felt that in this day and age of people being able to buy anything they want at any time, it is more interesting to receive something that is functional or consumable as a gift. Especially for those blessed with much already, and at a time of year of when it is easy to become overwhelmed with stuff. We try to focus on homemade and artisan made, with books or gift certificates being our back up plans.<br />
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I especially like to have my child create things for members of our family. This year she made homemade organic bird treats as described in a <a href="http://www.knittywhit.blogspot.com/2012/12/merry-christmas-birdies.html"><strong><em><span style="color: #fff2cc;">previous post</span></em></strong></a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8301229@N06/8348303530/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Birdie Treat by Whit-2-tis, on Flickr"><img alt="Birdie Treat" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8518/8348303530_0a24f0f63f.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Bird Suet Wreath :: A Hard to Beat Present for Bird Lovers</em></td></tr>
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We also made a set of napkins for my mom. Unfortunately, i don't have a picture (maybe you could send one, Mom?) :) We found a couple different styles of fabric and made napkins that fold into the shape of Christmas trees. <br />
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For my dad, we made a shirt, with the help of my mom and her embroidery machine. My dad is a freight train geek and a techno music connoisseur, hence the detail we create on the shirt.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8301229@N06/8347275419/" title="Poppawear by Whit-2-tis, on Flickr"><img alt="Poppawear" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8511/8347275419_7d2b2d5649.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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For other members of the family, we focused on useful food stuffs. We have a new store here in Enumclaw called MountainAire Mercantile. Wonderful place using local and sustainable as their business model! We found coffee roasted especially for them from a company in Wilkeson, WA and beautiful handmade soaps from a friend to gift my in-laws. Another store in town that has wonderful gift items is Sweet Necessities--a wide variety of tea, which we gifted, fudge and caramels made by the shop owner, Toby, and chocolates from a chocolatier in Oregon. <br />
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The last couple wonderful gifts we gave this year were for my daughter. I finished my first pair of hand knitted socks for her just before the holiday. That was my Christmas miracle this year. :) <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8301229@N06/8220067759/" title="Sideview of First Knitted Sock by Whit-2-tis, on Flickr"><img alt="Sideview of First Knitted Sock" height="282" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8209/8220067759_0e0dc03550.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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The other gift was a beautiful handmade costume from her Irish dance instructor.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8301229@N06/8347277875/" title="SRS doll dress by Whit-2-tis, on Flickr"><img alt="SRS doll dress" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8094/8347277875_dd1b624c53.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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It is made just for 18 inch dolls (i.e. American Girl) and is a spitting image of the costume Cookie wears for her competitions straight down to the ghillies. Everything is machine embroidered and the craftsmanship is amazing!</div>
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Other gifts of books were given. Books are one of our favourite gifts...knowledge is the best gift in our book. And another gift is coming for my hubbie from Etsy...a handmade case for his e-reader.<br />
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Trying to support creative pursuits of others is a Christmas gift in and of itself...being able to share the holidays with people in your community-at-large and reward them for their cleverness with a purchase or two. It also helps other families have a Merry Christmas, as it gives them a little extra cash in their pocket to make a merry holiday for their loved ones.</div>
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Happy New Year, Everyone!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09366300946512185715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-790335048550588008.post-57705004527420150522013-01-02T10:00:00.000-08:002013-01-02T10:00:00.238-08:00New Year, New SkillsAside from my newly developed duck doctorin' skills, i've discovered another talent of mine. And boy oh boy, how addictive it is. <br />
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I knit socks!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdE1baqpXZdQAQBDfDgJwKOeoVpaJiKS32BUQULEhB1pnwRzmCTCmUqIvbbHVBqDm0bTqSIAnl93D2RwtrB2n-YHRKfHp2l8ZOXkm76-Nniz_fxGWa2bCFyYfSaY_esN3Zk0ao9RSzbzI/s1600/IMG_0188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdE1baqpXZdQAQBDfDgJwKOeoVpaJiKS32BUQULEhB1pnwRzmCTCmUqIvbbHVBqDm0bTqSIAnl93D2RwtrB2n-YHRKfHp2l8ZOXkm76-Nniz_fxGWa2bCFyYfSaY_esN3Zk0ao9RSzbzI/s320/IMG_0188.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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This is my second pair in a month. </div>
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Cookie has a pair of pink striped ones.</div>
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Funny thing about hand knit socks.</div>
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Cookie requested more new socks as her feet are approaching u-boat proportions, so we checked out the offerings at the shoppes recently. "Hmmm, i can't find any that are my style, Momma. Their either too black or too colourful or too girlish." Then the light bulb lit over her head and her lips curled like the Grinches as she said, "Hey Momma, can we go back to the yarn aisle? If i can find a few balls of yarn i like, maybe you can just knit me more socks." We came home with skeins for a purple pair, a lime green pair, and a pair like those pictured above. :)</div>
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Think it's time for someone to learn how to knit herself, eh?</div>
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<span id="goog_1805139933"></span><span id="goog_1805139934"></span><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09366300946512185715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-790335048550588008.post-64120180565683692022013-01-01T21:48:00.002-08:002013-01-01T21:48:54.263-08:00Can't Catch a BreakHappy New Year! I hope your's has been restful and restorative. We just returned from Christmas in Idaho and are enjoying just being at home. Puttering in the garden. Knitting. Watching movies. Staring at blank walls. :)<br />
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Unfortunately, it can never be a dull moment around these parts. We are under attack by some hungry bird lovin' beast. Two weeks before we left, it killed Cookie's dear chicken, Fro, who was slated to become a show chicken this Spring. Dooh! Cookie is so sad because Fro was the only chicken that would let her pick it up.<br />
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Today we returned from lunch with family to find we were down a duck. Moose and i looked everywhere. Finally, he found her in the frozen pond. It was Cookie's duck, Racer, and she appeared to be dead. He took a closer look and saw her move, he dove for her tail feathers, reigned in the bird, and whisk her to the duck shed. Poor thing was so still, but she wasn't missing more than feathers. She had a few gashes on her, but the bleeding had stopped. Mr. Chevious picked a fine time to want to mate, so we had to separate him. Daffy took care of Racer, trying to nudge her to eat or drink and tried grooming her. It was sweet. Cookie thinks she's a nurse in the duck world. :) We let her settle a bit, then brought her inside for a soak in the tub, try to clean the wounds a bit with an Epsom salt soak. She wasn't interested in eating, or swimming, but she enjoyed the time in a warm tub it seemed. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Duck Doctorin'</em></td></tr>
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We dried her off and set her back out under the heat lamp. We're saying our prayers tonight for her. <br />
With our temps getting down into the 20's tonight, i am very worried about her. But in our research, we learned that it stresses the birds more if you isolate them. And i certainly don't want 3 grown ducks in our bathroom all night. :)<br />
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Lesson learned :: Farm animals are NOT pets! :) <br />
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Cookie's solution--"We can't ever adopt anything else that's cute, Momma!" <br />
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Wish it were that easy, don't you?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09366300946512185715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-790335048550588008.post-9885081902513671422012-12-19T09:58:00.002-08:002012-12-19T10:04:02.850-08:00Merry Christmas, Birdies!Just like you, we've been busy little elves this month. Planning Christmas gifts, making treats, getting ready to visit family for the holidays. I've been away so long, too many things rattling in my head that are just bursting to be shared with you. Thinking i've found a place to start here.<br />
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Aside from the knitting projects i've been working on, the coolest craft we've made so far is homemade birdseed and suet. Cookie loved this project so much we've made two batches. This is what we call "school" now. We learn so much about real life things, and the experiences keep it exciting and enjoyable for my poor child who is suffering the ill effects of "boredom" anytime she is asked to complete rote work on her own. It's best for all those involved who wish to maintain their sanity. :)<br />
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We learned that many of the toxins that are in food sources and fields now are affecting the birds tremendously--everything from shell strength to genetics informities to immunity and lifespan can be effected. With this realisation, we have come to learn that we should focus on what we grow in our gardens, rather than what we put in our feeders. <br />
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But today, we are just going to tackle one thing at a time. :)<br />
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First off, BIRD SEED we needed to source organic seed ingredients. We used our food co-op, which has a huge selection of many different kinds of seeds and grains. Cookie picked millet, sunflower seeds, oats, pumpkin seed, lentils and peanuts. We added the wheat berries we feed our chickens to this too for their protein content. <br />
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Now it was time to source organic lard. This wasn't an easy task, but we found a farm down the road from us that raises pigs. We asked if they sell the fat, and sure enough they did. Not only did we come home with a bag o' fat, but also our milkshare. :)<br />
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A quick search of The Google resulted in a bazillion ways to render pork fat into lard.</div>
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I chose to use the crockpot from the blog NWEdible, because she explained the process so well, however am not certain <a href="http://www.nwedible.com/2011/05/addictive-power-of-pork-fat.html"><strong><span style="color: #fff2cc;"><em>that method</em></span></strong></a> is the best for me. It seemed to take a really long time (3 days?!??! Really?) and i never got cracklins?!?!? The fat that melted out never really solidified. Is it the fat? Or is it me? Erica is a seasoned pro at this, so it can't be the method. </div>
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More research is needed. :)</div>
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Once we got our lard, we headed over to the blog Chiot's Run.</div>
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Susy has an easy <a href="http://chiotsrun.com/2011/04/07/make-your-own-suet-cakes/"><span style="color: #fff2cc;"><strong><em>recipe for suet</em></strong></span></a> there.</div>
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We used our homemade bird seed, our home-rendered lard, and because the lard was a little soupier than what i expected, we used a little more wheat flour. :)</div>
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We placed the first batch in square muffin tins lined with paper.</div>
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I stuck them out on the deck to firm up in the cold.</div>
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The Juncos, perched in the branches of the Red Osier dogwood next to our house, decided they couldn't wait and started devouring right away.</div>
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So we took the little blocks of birdie goodness and lined our deck rail with them.</div>
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The birds must think they're in Heaven...perched in the braches of Oregon Grape, Red Osier dogwood and a cedar type columnar tree, hopping down for a little sustainance within a tail-feather's reach.</div>
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Susy also had a wonderfully snazzy idea of molding the suet into a wreath shape with a bundt pan. Our's didn't look as pretty as her's, so we just molded them back into suet cakes for your typical</div>
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wire cage. Maybe if we had tried the angel food cake pan with a removable bottom, we would have had better success. We might just try that next.</div>
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Over all, i really liked the muffin tin. Wouldn't they be cute in a sweet little cupcake box with a cellophane pane?? And if someone mistakened them for a human treat, at least it would be wholesome and organic. :)</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09366300946512185715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-790335048550588008.post-7321373853831952752012-11-28T10:29:00.000-08:002012-11-28T10:29:00.098-08:00Auctioned Roo UpdateBack in October, we decided one of our roos needed to find a new home. We are lucky to have the <a href="http://knittywhit.blogspot.com/2012/10/shop-local-enumclaw-sales-pavilion.html"><em><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-size: large;"><strong>"Sales Barn"</strong></span></em></a>, as the locals call it.<br />
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We had heard stories of people's luck at the sales barn. Selling one roo for $40 bucks. Selling a 4 member flock of 3 year old hens, who's egg production dwindled to nothing, for $50 bucks. We were leary, but hopeful.<br />
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The first of November, we got a reciept in the mail.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8301229@N06/8223602925/" title="Rooster Auction by Whit-2-tis, on Flickr"><img alt="Rooster Auction" height="225" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8485/8223602925_f39bfe4c43_c.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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with a check totaling $3.97. <br />
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Oh well, at least we haven't had to put up with his bullying.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09366300946512185715noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-790335048550588008.post-21834678643866861482012-11-27T09:18:00.002-08:002012-11-27T10:15:51.473-08:00Excuse My Mess...Seems that i was trying to be told something, by my lack of blogging. <br />
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I am out of space for photos! <br />
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Egad!<br />
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Since having a blog without photos is like Thanksgiving without stuffing, and i don't want to move blogs, sending readers on a wild goose chase, i will be removing some of these photos to a Flickr account and removing from the blog. Or maybe all it will take is upgrading to Google+. Who knows.... ARRRRGH<br />
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Hope to return soon with more photos of what i would really like to show you!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09366300946512185715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-790335048550588008.post-84391945244565560502012-11-26T14:56:00.001-08:002012-11-26T14:56:29.559-08:00Busy as a BeeHello,<br />
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Hoping you had a wonderful holiday. Hoping you enjoyed your family more than your food this holiday--especially this one.<br />
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This year i had a huge breakthrough. I ate a plate of Thanksgiving goodness around 3pm for "lunch", and was hungry again by 7. You know, like any other day (should be.) Huge success for me! Especially when part of a mob at a dinner party. Showed up at the scale on Saturday too...look at me, 3.5 pounds lighter. Woot! Now if i could just find a way to work in a walk during a visit like that, however people might misconstrue that as being "unsocial", i guess. I'll get up the nerve, someday. Point being, i felt completely well going to bed and absolutely wonderful the next day. <br />
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If i keep this up, Nona might just have a little bro and sis before too long. :)<br />
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We have been busy with other things than holidays as well. Irish dancing. Merry Birthday Making. Entertaining visitors. Mostly conceptual, right now, but we are slowly wading into this farming gig by meeting some individuals well on their way to providing locals with a "food source" and questioning them heavily. Thankfully, a woman with much success on and off her farm has called to order a small group farmers in our area and we have been trading ideas online with regard to sharing of farm chores. I feel as if i've moved to Vashon Island (without the arsenic or the ferry ride.) Very excited to meet these individuals at our inaugural potluck in January.<br />
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We are shaking up school as well. I haven't the patience anymore for things that bring my child to her knees pleading for something less boring. We are reading lots, plugging along with math, in the throws of learning chores and cooking things as well. But Cookie's new passion? Making movies! So we are learning how to do that, as well as the various ways to put together a movie via a few different computer programs.<br />
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I'm entrenched at the moment in homemaking. Finding recipes for household items for this month's Urban Farm challenge. Making sure the seed companies all have my current address. :) Knitting. Sewing. Package wrapping. Yardwork. Decorating for a majour holiday. You know the gig. Also trying to add more exercise to my long list of daily chores.<br />
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Hoping you have a wonderful week ahead of you!<br />
Fondly,<br />
Whit<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09366300946512185715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-790335048550588008.post-6727228524600213612012-11-06T12:55:00.000-08:002012-11-06T13:05:52.986-08:00The Foyer :: Putting the "Welcome" into Our HomeThe garden is slowing down, work on the old house is winding down, and if i have to can one more batch of applesauce i think i could potential lose my mind. The sunny summer days have given way to storms that roll through, bringing not only dreary dark skies but two inches of rain to boot. :) <br />
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With the out of doors and the old house getting most of my attention these past few months, you can imagine what the new house looks like. So, i'm getting that nesting feeling again...time to reclaim a sense of order in our new space and time to experiment hanging a few things on the walls before i repaint everything. <em>Someday.</em><br />
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This week's redecorating mission is the foyer. Some would call it an entry. <em>To-may-to, to-mah-to </em>really. I grew up in a home with this awesome foyer, as my folks called it...from the front door you saw a quaint courtyard they built with a view to the backyard. It had space for a wood stove and a chair. All these years in my first grown up home, i had an entry space about 5 wide by 2 or 3 feet deep. One person could stand in the area, and there was really no room for any more. Maybe this is why i've come to think of one as a foyer, and the other as an "entry". <br />
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Anywho, these spaces beyond the front door have become very important, and dear, to me. It's the area you welcome guests out of the cold and rain, the beginnings of your hospitality. In our home, it's where one should leave their shoes and coat. It is also where we like to leave our things that we've brought in with us and the things we'll need as we head out the door. <br />
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Which becomes the problem.<br />
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Over the past few months, i've identified a few things that we will need to conceal our belongs in this area and make it a tidy, welcoming space for guests, but also a functional one for us. <br />
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<u><em>Wish List for Foyer</em></u></div>
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<em><u></u></em> </div>
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<em>Space to sit to put on/take off shoes</em></div>
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<em>Place for us to put our keys, wallets, purses so they are handy when we leave (</em>this may change<em>)</em></div>
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<em>Shoe storage</em></div>
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<em>Mail drop</em></div>
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<em>& if we win the lottery: a new tile or wood floor and ceiling fixture!</em></div>
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<em></em> </div>
Three pieces have been added, and i am slowly trying to identify what else is needed, if anything at all. Some items we moved with us and i would really, <em>really</em> love to replace with nicer finds. Things definitely need to be budget friendly right now though.<br />
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The important addition over this last summer was a sweet bench my mom and i found while shopping. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGcj4xiwymZJw84IO25ArJsgr-wVk51SxsZE4ixLXgf1PJen_BIIwr1IYdaiT9gH9j_isSNvG6DM0ueeSa5DNcVv_-xlt1iKmqPjHFOSQYX8SGtGof6jsr83-q46ShXbynxxCyH5gQyeI/s1600/Sandpoint+Mission+Bench.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGcj4xiwymZJw84IO25ArJsgr-wVk51SxsZE4ixLXgf1PJen_BIIwr1IYdaiT9gH9j_isSNvG6DM0ueeSa5DNcVv_-xlt1iKmqPjHFOSQYX8SGtGof6jsr83-q46ShXbynxxCyH5gQyeI/s320/Sandpoint+Mission+Bench.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>How do you like our Halloween bats?</em></td></tr>
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It almost looks like something a person would have made in a woodworking class, honing his furniture making skills. The seller had owned it for 30 years at least, having purchased it when he was an antique dealer years ago. His family loved it, as evident from the worn leather upholstery and the dents and scrapes in the wood. His children own a lunch spot my folk's dig, so it was neat to be able purchase something from their family. Just call me Ol' Sentimental Nellie, as when i find things like this, they take on the personalities of people who had them. And if i don't know who they were, i create the characters in my head who loved the item before it was my fortune to own it. <br />
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An added bonus, it can be moved to the living room to provide more seating when we have Moose's family over. Love that!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-7W2P08ZWg60G6KEw_2TDap4B9vYe3IJf6q9iDu6SVla-1_D0Gyd0phUZ4K4-piPQfSztzmtNa5pM-QoYRXKCrGzoG6USdxyyMIHjbIo0EXH_hFcsGV4X0yCY_AFnXHF0hq9koV4ee0/s1600/bench+back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-7W2P08ZWg60G6KEw_2TDap4B9vYe3IJf6q9iDu6SVla-1_D0Gyd0phUZ4K4-piPQfSztzmtNa5pM-QoYRXKCrGzoG6USdxyyMIHjbIo0EXH_hFcsGV4X0yCY_AFnXHF0hq9koV4ee0/s320/bench+back.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Mission style back had me at hello.</em></td></tr>
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At first, i thought i would paint the wood (a striking red, perhaps? or black?), but for now i have decided that it will stay this way. I am planning on repainting the walls a lighter, creamier colour and seeing how it looks against that. The seat is a removable box with coils, so a later date project will add more cotton padding and reupholster it. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl-CFnkW5mLX6wLcE3Sb0OBWEd6L01uOHBqSYgeeXcRom79rTSI-qAMZ3ZZPmZmHCUSpJKaX_MXhjFQA0V1-TB78w4dIsoDqcFGOqQPKWB_ti9f38zcbyNzln9rfwJ5OpKlb8BHkpBWSk/s1600/quilt+back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl-CFnkW5mLX6wLcE3Sb0OBWEd6L01uOHBqSYgeeXcRom79rTSI-qAMZ3ZZPmZmHCUSpJKaX_MXhjFQA0V1-TB78w4dIsoDqcFGOqQPKWB_ti9f38zcbyNzln9rfwJ5OpKlb8BHkpBWSk/s320/quilt+back.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Only to be made more homey with the addition </em><br />
<em>of a thrifted homemade quilt.</em></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC3wdqT0wJ5YvgJI-SstOl3zO-U-q1C8IY-P9LKEC-4l2-fETb1ULnJ2iDjt5WiC27mVK40g-vg3yl7cQVuJ2K_hJ9o-QSv9-6gdtu9tRfE3BgPzpT030VYzXX3IpoTcBwhhU6BtoX9Ow/s1600/entry+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC3wdqT0wJ5YvgJI-SstOl3zO-U-q1C8IY-P9LKEC-4l2-fETb1ULnJ2iDjt5WiC27mVK40g-vg3yl7cQVuJ2K_hJ9o-QSv9-6gdtu9tRfE3BgPzpT030VYzXX3IpoTcBwhhU6BtoX9Ow/s1600/entry+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC3wdqT0wJ5YvgJI-SstOl3zO-U-q1C8IY-P9LKEC-4l2-fETb1ULnJ2iDjt5WiC27mVK40g-vg3yl7cQVuJ2K_hJ9o-QSv9-6gdtu9tRfE3BgPzpT030VYzXX3IpoTcBwhhU6BtoX9Ow/s1600/entry+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
</a>Now with this new piece of furniture gracing our home, </a></div>
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i have a dilemma. </div>
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Furniture arrangement in our foyer.</div>
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Granted, all the crud could be cleared out, and that would make heaps difference. However this is everyday living, friends. Our home will never grace the pages of a magazine. But more important to me is that it's inviting and comfy to those who visit, whether they are family and friends</div>
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or Jehovah's Witnesses. :)</div>
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This is how i initially envisioned the space.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC3wdqT0wJ5YvgJI-SstOl3zO-U-q1C8IY-P9LKEC-4l2-fETb1ULnJ2iDjt5WiC27mVK40g-vg3yl7cQVuJ2K_hJ9o-QSv9-6gdtu9tRfE3BgPzpT030VYzXX3IpoTcBwhhU6BtoX9Ow/s400/entry+1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="225" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Before</em></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj60NTF30Ovx1do8m9UjyqufQQKu8QCE4-fYkit_6GNr9SNpLTHjuXxMb2BE4JgYNyRwdQE_NzU7iRaGQb6XqJV0rRtDCHnEdP1knQOIicyajIrwDzhnba7WJFaMIHQz-XiUpwny0_n1ac/s1600/phssst+wall+in+foyer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj60NTF30Ovx1do8m9UjyqufQQKu8QCE4-fYkit_6GNr9SNpLTHjuXxMb2BE4JgYNyRwdQE_NzU7iRaGQb6XqJV0rRtDCHnEdP1knQOIicyajIrwDzhnba7WJFaMIHQz-XiUpwny0_n1ac/s320/phssst+wall+in+foyer.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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It's hard for me to see anything on the wall below the stairs because of its height and depth. Needless to mention is that unfortunate placement of support column in the middle of the area.<br />
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If that isn't needed, "you know who" may be the first to go. :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2CscTg_LxQyNI6kzlV79oYvBv2k-qpH2bUyKVGsAhlCPYenzksj5JOSPpVYfMuGDaMhxq75_clXcwk6MtC2b7NVLpxlFl_ih7auBW2-X2Mf1CYW08Xfxy-3t_VN1f9rgEmfoz-N2hQUg/s1600/bench+switch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2CscTg_LxQyNI6kzlV79oYvBv2k-qpH2bUyKVGsAhlCPYenzksj5JOSPpVYfMuGDaMhxq75_clXcwk6MtC2b7NVLpxlFl_ih7auBW2-X2Mf1CYW08Xfxy-3t_VN1f9rgEmfoz-N2hQUg/s320/bench+switch.jpg" width="180" /></a>It looks decent, but as you can see, the depth of the bench isn't ideal for the space. We've lived with it like this for three months now. We're all luke warm about it. </div>
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Around the corner, where the bench sticks out, is the bathroom...the bench is a potential toe-tangler here now. Moose hasn't ever liked this, so i used his idea this morning. Come around that corner too quick, and you've got a bruised hip. Ei yi ei!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSGoMxukud5FjapAj12nSqxDy2BZPuyExTL3WAhCRwvaoJnbx6AYw0ugchouqrdpamE7UCc60WJpMDtOsSALJta5q1sbV6aD66uFxX-yRFZbXxayQ4LjXYvn9LLDMLCwrF4tJUrNdx17E/s1600/dresser+switch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSGoMxukud5FjapAj12nSqxDy2BZPuyExTL3WAhCRwvaoJnbx6AYw0ugchouqrdpamE7UCc60WJpMDtOsSALJta5q1sbV6aD66uFxX-yRFZbXxayQ4LjXYvn9LLDMLCwrF4tJUrNdx17E/s320/dresser+switch.jpg" width="180" /></a><br />
I played switch-a-roo with the *awful* wicker dresser this morning. The only thing we lose moving this dresser to this area is the possibility of having a small lamp to light the space, instead of using the overhead light. The depth of the dresser definitely works better here. <br />
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I would love to find a wood dresser, possibly the same colour as the bench. </div>
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However, it will need a short depth. </div>
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After all the rearranging, </div>
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here's the finished result. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj08jADtgfqhsu3wZGiCp6J6EbpHrePE11cch7qMBM-ltrz3apAovAnMO5tP8vW_CaIL-PmHLt4gncANcyXY9bQdS18tQoaSvXOtQi_3kIOLcO-FhowRvFQxDtOmS296GCvRkptOXb6V00/s1600/entry+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj08jADtgfqhsu3wZGiCp6J6EbpHrePE11cch7qMBM-ltrz3apAovAnMO5tP8vW_CaIL-PmHLt4gncANcyXY9bQdS18tQoaSvXOtQi_3kIOLcO-FhowRvFQxDtOmS296GCvRkptOXb6V00/s320/entry+2.jpg" width="180" /></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>After</em></td></tr>
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<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
I like that the bench still hides the pile of library books from the visitors.</div>
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And the flow seems to be a lot more spacious.</div>
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What do you think?</div>
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Any suggestions on how to spiffy up this ugly vinyl tile floor on the cheap??</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09366300946512185715noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-790335048550588008.post-83655132504919837142012-11-01T18:14:00.004-07:002012-11-02T07:57:04.514-07:00Halloween<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8301229@N06/8145002191/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="All dolled up by Whit-2-tis, on Flickr"></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8301229@N06/8145002191/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="All dolled up by Whit-2-tis, on Flickr"><img alt="All dolled up" height="320" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8048/8145002191_3767de48ca_n.jpg" style="cursor: move;" unselectable="on" width="180" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8301229@N06/8145002191/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="All dolled up by Whit-2-tis, on Flickr"></a><br /></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8301229@N06/8144346525/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Racer and a slug by Whit-2-tis, on Flickr"></a><br /></div>
Out here in the country, we were pretty certain we wouldn't get any trick or treaters. It's not that we don't have an abundant group of neighbours, but that most are from a different generation...who's children grew up a long time ago. <br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8301229@N06/8144346525/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Racer and a slug by Whit-2-tis, on Flickr"></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8301229@N06/8144346525/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Racer and a slug by Whit-2-tis, on Flickr"><img alt="Racer and a slug" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8048/8144346525_d0ac04e578.jpg" style="cursor: move;" unselectable="on" width="282" /><br />
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</a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8301229@N06/8145002191/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="All dolled up by Whit-2-tis, on Flickr"></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8301229@N06/8147771405/" title="All Treats Here by Whit-2-tis, on Flickr"><img alt="All Treats Here" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8470/8147771405_c6cb839bf5.jpg" width="282" /></a>
Cookie, an eager trick or treater, was chomping at the bit yesterday. She designed the pumpkins and helped carve them.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8301229@N06/8144342173/" title="Riona's pumpkin carving by Whit-2-tis, on Flickr"><img alt="Riona's pumpkin carving" height="180" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8332/8144342173_1f9dfcd3e7_n.jpg" width="320" /></a>
In town, the merchants get together with the city officials and block off the main road, encouraging kids to come for tricks and treats downtown. I piled my kitty cat in the car and headed downtown. Have you ever seen a single file line of children in costumes, waiting their turn to beg for candy? The kids weren't the only ones getting in on the act, as some parents dressed up, trick or treating for themselves, and held a bag chock full of loot from their efforts as well. It was the strangest thing i had ever seen.<br />
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In talking with some of the merchants, the numbers varied from 10 pounds of candy given in an hour to 2000 suckers with coupon offers attached handed out. Wow!<br />
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Afterward, we headed into the homes of the city folk, who were amazed at how few goblins there were. Cookie was happy that there weren't as many scary things here as in our old neighbourhood. At half a bag of candy, she was ready to go home, where we sorted (only one piece didn't pass the "have we heard of that before" test!" She found 3 coupons for ice cream from our favourite merchants downtown. And to cap the night, we watched the great pumpkin and Cookie and Moose had light saber "fights" with glowsticks. :) It was a calm Halloween without worry...quite nice!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09366300946512185715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-790335048550588008.post-44190919396754453712012-10-18T11:29:00.002-07:002012-10-18T11:29:59.277-07:00Nature's Jack-in-a-Box<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We have these cute little <a href="http://www1.dnr.wa.gov/nhp/refdesk/herp/html/4hyre.html"><span style="color: #fff2cc;"><strong><em>Pacific Tree Frogs</em></strong></span></a> all of over the property.</div>
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In the strangest places we'll find them. </div>
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They were all over the grape leaves this fall.</div>
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Today, while watering the lettuces and trees in the greenhouse, this one came out to say hi.</div>
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Startled me a little, i have to admit.</div>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Tree_Frog" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhliwGcpk278M1AAZWLJcHCLRB-qx2BZq5-K9sB1PtgDH60EhVQPVk85dWpnJeYtlW_KpQYrdr0L6vO3Y-nTxakMQBl91plS4-yGIG8fNTJ9iyGLOdKQCCCDvzyRqq96mI4QcXYEV8HCMY/s320/IMG_5052.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Looking for the canning jars this weekend, i found his cousin in the strangest spot...</div>
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Hello little guy!</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09366300946512185715noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-790335048550588008.post-31178544881774671812012-10-15T11:36:00.000-07:002012-10-15T12:00:15.489-07:00In Case You've Had a Weekend Like Ours...This weekend was a busy one. We lived a library in "The Big City" so Cookie could learn about and practice ciphers and codes. The library was straight away from our favourite Irish restaurant, so we lunched there. Then we headed to church at our parish in the south end. All in all, we probably put about 100 miles on the car on Saturday. Ugh!<br />
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Sunday was harvest day. Moose cleaned out the kiwi vines of about 15 pounds of berries, and we made 2 batches of jam with enough berries potentially leftover for four more batches! Ei yi ei! I harvested a basketful of apples, sauced and placed them in jars to freeze them in hopes of using these being used for our lunches and the snacks we need to provide our friends in the clubs we belong to.<br />
Also finished cleaning up the shelling beans. Whew! All that and a quick haircut for Moose made for a 5am to 9:30pm day!! <br />
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And after a day like that, you can imagine the need for a little comic relief, eh? <br />
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The poison of my choice is a parody of a cute little song by Carly Rae Jepsen "Call Me Maybe"<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-qTIGg3I5y8" width="560"></iframe><br />
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And Mitt Romney wants to cut funding for this kinda creativity??!?? <br />
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President Obama slow jamming the news with Jimmy Fallon is a must see as well & the spoof of Mad Men singing Rick Astley is pretty funny to, however i will warn you that that last one isn't too family friendly, video-wise.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09366300946512185715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-790335048550588008.post-24419091762404242642012-10-13T20:44:00.001-07:002012-10-13T20:44:59.532-07:00Lemon Update<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8301229@N06/8081100383/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="meyer lemon oct '12 by Whit-2-tis, on Flickr"><img alt="meyer lemon oct '12" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8324/8081100383_676cde028a.jpg" width="282" /></a>We've already had a couple of frosts out here in the country. I didn't want to push my luck with my lemon tree, so i moved it into the greenhouse the end of last month. With all the unseasonably nice weather we had, i was afraid that maybe it was getting too hot in there in the afternoons. Then i remembered that these trees flourish in AZ. :)<br />
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Upon this week's inspection, i noticed the lemon tree is flowering again! <i>*Sqee!*</i> And right above those blossoms in the background you can see our first lemon developing.<br />
Overall we have 3 lemons, but the other two are so tiny, and with lemon tree's propensity to drop fruit, i am trying not to get too excited.<br />
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Also, per recommendation of an inspiring blogging chap at Tall Clover Farm, i snapped up a Bearss lime plant i found in a grocer's floral section...on clearance for $5 no less. :) There were olive plants too, so i figured i give one of those a go. Behind them there are my lettuce plants for the winter. Boy, that medium greenhouse is filling up fast!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8301229@N06/8081097922/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" title="Bearess lime and olive tree by Whit-2-tis, on Flickr"><img alt="Bearess lime and olive tree" height="282" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8474/8081097922_ab409dd6b8.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09366300946512185715noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-790335048550588008.post-88620448414605694912012-10-11T10:58:00.000-07:002012-10-11T10:58:34.017-07:00New Kinda Chore ChartWe've tried everything to get Cookie to tackle her chores. I figured if the list format and chart format didn't work, the online computer program with email reminders would. Pffft! That only worked for a couple weeks. <br /><br />Back a square one, i came across cool chore punch cards, much like our coffee punch cards we coffee addicts carry around in separate wallets because they all won't fit in our money wallet. :)<br />
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I was about to order some i had seen on Etsy, when Cookie said, "Whatcha doin'?" <br /><br />I showed her the cards and got a resounding "cool!" from her. <br />
<br />Then a quizzical look came across her face. <br />
<br />"Momma, why would you buy them when you could make some really cool ones?" <br /><br />So i sat down at the computer, and after about a half hour with our art program i came up with this:<br />
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We decided that we'd leave the pay-out of each card negotiable. That way they can earn a new book, an ice cream, a trip to the movies....when they are worth monies, we decided that each balloon is worth $0.25. When a chore like making the bed is complete, Cookie pops a balloon with a hole puncher. <br />
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We'll see how it works. So far, just inspired chores for one day. I wish i knew how to inspire her to complete more chores without beatings!! :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09366300946512185715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-790335048550588008.post-31611432192369874122012-10-10T05:13:00.000-07:002012-10-10T05:13:00.510-07:00Late Night StoryThe other day was a late night for us. We have them scattered throughout the week. Just another example of why we need to find an electric doo dad to put our feathered friends away.<br />
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It all started in the afternoon. We drove to dance class about 25 miles away. I've had a real sour stomach the past week, Cookie had one more class after dance. Called Moose to see if he could play switch-a-roo with me, so i could go home and go to bed. Agreed. <br />
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We arrive at class No. 2 at 7:20pm. It's pitch black out already. Moose is waiting for us. I make sure Cookie is settled, then head home. Figuring that Moose won't be home 'til 9ish, i drive the car up the driveway aways, where the headlights can shine on the duck shed. Open the car door and there's Rosie, "Mee-roowr". Hi Rosie. She escorts me to the duck shed and i just start to enter when i see two beady eyes. <em>Hmmm, those eyes are too close to each other on that head to be a bird</em>, i say to myself. Then i see it...the white striped tail. Spooked Rosie because she didn't know i could run so fast!<br />
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I clamour back into the car and wait. That skunk looks like it's going to bed down for the night in there! <em>But wait, aren't they nocturnal? </em>I wait some more. Finally, my plan is to rev the engine and see if that does any good. I drive the car up near the duck shed, and after i hit the gas a couple times, the skunk runs out of the duck shed.... <em>Hooray!</em><br />
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and right into the chicken coop! <em>Ugh!</em> <em>So now what? </em>Well, at least i can put the ducks away and then go to bed. <em>Wait! Where <u>are</u> the ducks? Huh?</em> I look outside and see another flash of threatening tail. At this point, i don't know what to do. I am quite certain that if Mr. Skunk skunked me, i would definitely have a real sour stomach. So, i do what any self respecting gal would do...<br />
call her man! :)<br />
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But there's no answer. The third time, there is still no answer. So, i leave a note on the front door.<br />
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After a while, Moose and Cookie make it home. Now it's really pitch black. Great night for stargazing. Moose has the flashlights in his pocket, so he heads out to the shed. Mr. Skunk has moved on, but there is no sign of the ducks....anywhere. Moose heads out into the fields, calling "Here ducky duckies!" :) Near the pond, that actually resembles something more of a large puddle at this point in the season with this little rain, he hears ducks come crashing out of the brush. They follow him all the way back to the duck shed. He turns on the light and finds that only Mischevious and Daffy have followed him back. <em>Where's Racer?!?</em><br />
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He comes up to the house, asked Cookie to put on her boots and grab a flashlight. A few minutes later, she comes back to the house to collect me. "Mom, we need your help. Grab a jacket and boots." <em>Oh Lord, help me.</em><br />
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While Cookie is leading me back to the pond, i am amazed at her calmness in the pitch black darkness with only a small headlamp to light our way. <em>She's a completely different kid now...</em><br />
<em>Not a hot mess of a city girl like her momma.</em><br />
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We get to the pond and Cookie charges down through the brush to the edge of the puddle. I stay about 3 feet from all that. Cause you know there could be frogs down there. <br />
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"See Racer, Mom? She's under those bushes." Moose tried bring food out to her. Cookie and Moose tried shooing her on shore. Rosie even tried climbing into the brush hoping to help us herd the duck home. No luck. When they'd get too close, she'd retreat under the shrubs.<br />
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Finally, Moose asked me to go get another duck. On the way back to the duck shed, i decided i would bring Cheevy...he tolerates me picking him up sometimes after we play tag. Sometimes he gets too fresh and the only way i've found to make him stop is to give that silly ol ' duck a big bear hug. <br />
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Hoping that Racer will respond to Cheevy's calls, we trudge back out to the pond. We all say, "Call Racer, Cheevy!" Right on cue, he lets out a big male whaaaaa, whaaaa, whaaa duck sound and Racer comes tearing out of the brush and up the banks. Cheevy wants down to see if his woman is alright. <em>I'm *not* letting go of you, you silly duck!</em> <br />
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Cookie's at the front of this crazy late night <strike>sharade</strike> parade, lighting my way. Moose is at the back lighting Racer's way. Cheevy's flapping his big ol' manly wings in my face. Occasionally Racer would stop and duck into brush along the way. <em>Cheevy, sing it again, ol' boy. Waaaah! Good boy! </em><br />
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Finally, we got the ducks back inside and fed. Whew!<br />
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And the neighbours are none the wiser since it wasn't daylight out. :) <br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09366300946512185715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-790335048550588008.post-25373867437575648582012-10-09T06:01:00.000-07:002012-10-09T06:01:00.173-07:00Enjoying This<div style="text-align: center;">
Fall is here. </div>
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Although, this isn't a fall us Seattlites would recognize right off hand.</div>
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Seriously?! California is getting massive amounts of rain this week and we are dry, sunny, & in the 70's? Cue the Twilight Zone intro!</div>
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It's cold in the house when Moose awakens.</div>
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Lovely man he is, he braves the freezing temps to fetch the firewood that will warm our little house.</div>
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All before he's had his breakfast. Or his shower.</div>
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By the time he leaves, the stove is pumping out the heat--around 400 degrees Fahrenheit!</div>
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Enjoy finding where our Halloween decorations will live in our new home.</div>
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Needing to find more pieces and places for vignettes, </div>
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rather than blanketing the house at large with seasonal decor.<br />
Just where are those cool orange and black globe lights we have going to go???</div>
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Enjoying how the toys are creeping back in front of the fire.</div>
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Reminding myself to enjoy those now, especially when the littlest of pieces embeds itself in my foot, because they won't be there too many more years. :)</div>
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Enjoying a new knitting project this week.</div>
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In need of more dishclothes and Martha's yarn colours where spot on for my new kitchen.</div>
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Portland Feis this past weekend was the perfect time for new projects--lots of knitting on the car ride down and while cheering for Cookie in the stands.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Cookie is the 2nd girl from "Batgirl" on the right</em></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09366300946512185715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-790335048550588008.post-62791093759782465452012-10-08T10:43:00.001-07:002012-10-08T10:43:52.675-07:00shop local :: Enumclaw Sales PavilionIn this installment of my shop local series, we bring you our experience at the Enumclaw Sales Pavilion. The proper title should be "sell local", however. <br />
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Our Polish rooster, Mo, was becoming quite aggressive for our taste. He had already attacked Moose once and had developed a reputation for charging from behind (which really made changing the waterers and checking food difficult for one person). For people who like to commune with our hens on a daily basis, you can imagine how frustrating it was.<br />
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Saturday, while we were readying for our travels to the Rose City, Cookie was playing in our backyard while Moose was tending to weeds in the garden. Mo kept jumping up on our fences, crowing, puffing, and taunting Cookie. We decided there was no tolerance for that type of bullying. And from a chicken no less! <br />
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A visit with some acquaintances that we saw last week proved fortutitous, with conversation centered around chicken talk. They mentioned they had taken some poultry to the Sales Barn before they left for a vacation; three year old hens who's egg production had really tapered off weren't worth the cost of an animal sitter to them, however they didn't wish harm to their chickens either. Makes sense.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Mo: If you could only have followed the cardinal rules!</em></td></tr>
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<em></em>So Saturday morning, Moose prepared a moving box with straw and air holes for ol' Mo. We showed up at check-in hours, standing in line with the regulars who drop off dozens of eating eggs, hatching eggs, and other birds to be auctioned off. How it works is you leave your name and address and item, a number gets associated with that item and set out for auction, and when the auction is over you get a check in the mail if your item has sold. Haven't talked to anyone yet about what happens when items don't sell. But we create our own fantasy for Mo, and hope that he was snatched up for his beauty, rather than his tempermant, was whisked away to a glorious and picturesque chicken farm with a sizable harem of hens, who were all immediately struck breathless when they saw what a handsome and (un)refined fellow came to live with them!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8301229@N06/8061486371/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" title="shop local: Enumclaw Auction by Whit-2-tis, on Flickr"><img alt="shop local: Enumclaw Auction" height="282" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8319/8061486371_62091b721b.jpg" width="500" /></a>The <a href="http://www.enumclawlivestockauction.4t.com/"><em><strong><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-size: large;">Sales Barn</span></strong></em></a> runs many different types of auctions from poultry to horses to tools and farm equipment. It's located on Hwy 164 & 228th Street. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09366300946512185715noreply@blogger.com3