KnittyWhit

Spring's Left Its Calling Card

2012-02-16T13:19:00.000-08:00

If only buying Spring were this easy, eh?

It seems as though Spring is edging Winter out around here. Oh, it's not that Ol' Man Winter isn't putting up a fight. A couple days ago we had wicked hailstorm. Yesterday, we had ice in the morning, but Spring won the noontime arm-wrestling match and we had a beautiful sunny afternoon.

All that sun we've been having is helping the plants wake up from their winter's nap. I can't wait to identify some of these plants!

Peep came over for a visit too.
He's a riot--he comes over to visit two or three times a day and when the girls see him,
they go running to him. The chickens are ready for springtime too.

A Love Story Laced With Practicality

2012-02-14T09:37:00.000-08:00

Moving the chickens went a lot smoother than we thought it would.

After doing some research online, we decided moving our chickens would be better than starting over. Can you believe some people actually move their chickens 1500 miles?!? Wow! And i thought i was being a total city slicker moving my chickens 15 miles away. Truth being, too, that i think Cookie Monster would have disowned us if we gave away our chickens. :)

This structure on the property is assumed to originally function as an old pump house, back in the well pumping-water hauling days. The owners over the past few years used it for alpaca rearing.

Our first afternoon here, Moose fitted the house with a roost and some fresh pine bedding.

An old plastic milk crate is standing in for a nesting box for now.

The area in the left of the picture seems to be used for a hay loft/feed trough. Eventually we will clean these spaces and retrofit them as nesting boxes and more roosting space.

Also on the "Someday" list is to build a new door or a little ladder outside that little window behind Moose's head, that the chickens can use to come and go into the pastures to limit their access to our "backyard." It's a little frustrating stepping off the back steps and tiptoeing around chicken bombs. :)

After all the rigging was done, it was time for a midnight chicken run. Moving chickens at night is the most humane way to do it. They are drowsy and won't frighten as much. We arrived around 9 p.m. and set to work with a head lamp and 3 medium sized cardboard moving boxes. We lined the boxes with a layer of straw and fit two chickens in there with ease, spacewise. If you are attempting to move your chickens, this is the part where you have to be super careful! Even though they are sleeping, they startle and start working each other up. Keep calm, talk softly around them. Most importantly, when you pick them up, grab their entire body so their wings won't be outstretched and flapping when you are trying to put them in the box. You could really damage their wings if you aren't careful. Also, you should expect egg production to drop with they acclimate. We've been lucky, as the conditions we moved them to makes them much happier than how they were living. After a couple days, we were getting 2 - 3 eggs per day consistantly.

We lightly closed the top flaps--no tape needed--and drove cautiously home. One chicken kept beating its beak against the side of the box. Moose and i figured she was trying to send an S.O.S. to the other girls, planning a mutiny or something. :) After arriving to the new home around 10:30 p.m., and setting up the food, we let the girls out to have a little drink and they climbed back up on the roost for the night.

The next morning they were chomping at the bit to get out and explore

and do all their other chicken-y things.

Is there a better site than a few chickens enjoying themselves out in yard?

We weren't the only ones enjoying the sight.

Mom and Dad's cat affectionately referred to as The Smiley Faced Killer

You think the story would end there, but there is a slight and rather comical twist.

A whole two days after moving in, Cookie and i returned home from an errand to an unwelcomed sight.

Rooster?!? We didn't have a rooster before. What in the world?

He sampled a little of our food, a couple of the girls threw out the "welcome mat" for him (if you get my drift), and he was strutin' around the yard like a king that had just conquered and pillaged his best enemy. After spotting those enormous spurs on him, i wasn't about to head out to help him hop back over the fence.

I know, I'm such a girl.

As long as he was able to go back to his home by himself, i figured there was nothing i could do to stop his comings and goings. I didn't really want to figure out whether he was an aggressive beast or not.

About a week after we moved in, a neighbour from across the street and down the way came calling with her adorable little 8 month old girl. When i answered the door, she lead with, "I am hoping you aren't going to shoot my rooster and put him in your stew pot." She went on to let us know he is slightly aggressive, but that she was happy to answer a call if he was ever bothering us.

You'll never guess this ferocious beast's name.

It's Peep. :)

He's been visiting a little more each day--twice a day, but now is a little reluctant to jump the fence for some reason. The sight of him trotting across the street is quite hilarious. I promise i will try to capture a video.

I guess we know the real answer to the age old question now, eh?

Why did the rooster cross the street?

To hang out with the cute chicks on the other side.

A Beautiful Sunny Day

2012-02-03T21:40:00.000-08:00

Would you like to take a walk with me around the new homestead?

We'll start with the north side of the property, where the magic begins.
This is where the chickens free range.

This coop was the old pump house.

The pastures were our flock roams.

Next, we'll take a stroll out back.
Most of the property is fenced pens, that were used for alpacas.
There are some neat perks though, like this greenhouse.

The property actually has three greenhouses of various sizes, this one being the industrial one.
We are in negotiations regarding names to distinguish between them. I've submitted that it might be fun to adopt a naming system like Starbucks has for its drinks, i.e. this greenhouse would be known as "Venti".

Behind this greenhouse is a pond, created by the previous owner to drain the property. The pond feeds into the creek the next lot over and runs into Newalkum Cr.

Doesn't this just scream for ducks??

The area with the pond is also fenced and along these fencelines are planted blueberries, a plant that loves wet feet, and apple trees. From the pond is the best view of Rainier, so i was thinking this might be a good place to try to grow a fruit tree arbour like Sharon Lovejoy suggests in one of her garden books.

From pond

We'll walk back toward the house and see the garden, shed, and the chicken coop beyond.

Boy, the house sure has a great profile from the back!

On to the other two greenhouses

Grande

Short

Short has all the bells and whistles. He has grow lights and a seed starting bench. Today we found out he also has an automatic fan that comes on when the indoor temp reaches 95 degrees. :)

To end our tour, here is the shoppe.
This used to be the home of Thunder Mountain Farms, famous for their herbs and starts.

Walking through the gate and down the path

you'll find the shoppe

which we someday hope to use as a farm stand.

This would be my commute.

Tough one, eh?

In front of these little shoppe is a nicely landscaped area with hazelnut, gingko, and pine trees, witch hazels, and a pond surrounded by alpine strawberries. Also an arbour supporting kiwis.

Oh look, Moose is back with lunch--burgers from the local pub and grill in honour of our 11th anniversary.

The timing of this move couldn't be better, as Moose and i really didn't have a clue as to what to get each other for our anniversary this year. :) Now, he'll say "Happy Anniversary, i bought you a house." To which i reply, "Oh isn't that funny?!? I got you the same thing!" And in a few months, i'll be saying, "Happy Birthday, i bought you a house." And a couple months after that he'll say the same to me. And so on. And so on. I'm thinking we're good on gifts until at least Christmas 2013. :)

Enjoying the New Neighbours

2012-02-03T07:18:00.000-08:00

My pop and his cat have been taking daily walks around the property since we moved in. Last night, Pop called Cookie Monster out to meet the new neighbours. This is what he discovered.

Out My Window Today

2012-02-02T10:34:00.000-08:00

The sun is shining and it's a glorious day in the country.

Hope you have a good day as well!

Picture of the Day

2012-01-31T20:29:00.000-08:00

We were in the right place at the right time today. We had heard rumours of them. And today when my folks and i went out to lunch, we saw them.

This is the roaming herd of Roosevelt Elk in our town. They are beautiful, but very destructive at times. They were in a pasture, near Newalkum Creek, just a few miles away from our new house. Hopefully we won't see them up close in our yard, but it's nice to know they are here.

Christening

2012-01-28T08:17:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our new home. Take off your coat and stay a while.

Come grab a spot by the fire...

Chairs?!? What chairs? There's a perfectly good floor to sit on, isn't there?

This moving hasn't been as smooth as creamy Skippy, due to the old owners needing more time to pack their stuff. We were able to get in this afternoon, just in time for dinner. So we unpacked some plates, and broke out with the beef stew.

The First Supper

Thankfully we were able to share it with my parents! Cookie excitedly stocked the new pantry with the groceries we brought over from the old pantry.

And just as a friendly reminder because i care to spare you from the same fate....

REMEMBER TO WEAR YOUR SUNBLOCK, my friends!!

Melanoma Battle Wound

Will be extremely glad to get the all clear from the doc so i can enjoy this baby

The Bedrooms

2012-01-20T15:30:00.000-08:00

The good thing about being stuck in the house during an ice storm is that you have plenty of time to pack AND plan decor in a new home. :) The thought of snow shoveling the chicken run occurred to me yesterday, until i went outside and a huge tree branch fell in front of where i would have been standing. I said to myself, "Self, i think wasting many minutes on Pinterest looking for inspirational bedrooms would be much safer." And so i did. And now i think i have a plan.

We hit the Ben Moore Paint Shop a couple weeks ago. I don't want to get carried away with repainting the new house, for several reasons:

The best decorating ideas come after you've lived somewhere a while, eh?
I really don't want to squelch my family and friends helpful and generous intentions by forcing them into manual labor, while i sit around like a CEO of a hedge fund operation, sipping tea and recovering from surgery in the new kitchen.
We need all the extra money we can squirrel away for a tractor for Moose by summertime.
We also have a boat load of painting to do at the old house so we won't be featured on an HGTV show about homes that no one would buy just because they are afraid of buying a house with a bright blue rec room. :)
Moose and i really don't agree on colours very often--he's a tan kinda guy, while i am more of a grey gal. Sometimes, us trying to pick out paint colours can be like mixing oil and water. And i love him all the more for it!

After a few different discussions, we settled on a nice safe colour: milkyway

I hope it's intense enough not to look dirty and grey on all our dim-lit days here in the rainy PNW--it's what i dispise most of all the ceilings we painted white. On dark rainy days, it looks like we've made a habit of lighting torches in all of the rooms, the smoke discolouring the corners. I also hope that we can turn up the oomph in the rooms with colours in other things. The last thing i want to get embroiled in is spending hours at the mall trying to match new bed sheets to a colour painted in one of our bedrooms. I think, nee, *know* i would rather chew on a wad of tin foil.

While we are still in negotiations, this is what i hope will be Cookie's room. Out that door is a balcony that overlooks the farm and has a small view of the top of Mt. Rainier. So, my theory is--since Cookie will be a teenager someday--what teenager would want to go to someone else's house when they have a rockin' bedroom like this?

Although Moose's point is a good one too...this has the potential of becoming the teenage equivalent to the Crocodile Lounge--and located right above the bedroom that Moose and i hope to inhabit after Cookie is old enough not to need us when she sleepwalks.

When we first looked at the place, she loved the paint scheme in here because it is very similar to her lighthouse themed room now. However, then we took her with us to the paint store. Rotten idea!

She now has visions of purples and bright pinks for her room, we've come to an agreement that we will paint everything Milkyway first, then revisit colour at a different time. And maybe by adorning a garage sale dresser with all these funky colour combos.

This is the second bedroom. The sunsets will be streaming in that window there. The window also has a brick ledge (from the chimney on that exterior wall.) I can't wait to put a pumpkin there in October!

One thing we aren't too certain on is the colour in here. While it looks nice, it's not my style. I am thinking if this becomes our bedroom, i will scour my own photography and see what kind of inspiration i can glean from there. These are candidates.

And so are these.

Thinking of something that i could photograph or have photographed that would look awesome in bright red frames.

Anyway, it's a start, and i can wait to get started on it...

next week's the week!

Hooray!

Greetings from Snowy Puget Sound

2012-01-18T09:15:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we had a reasonable, seasonal snowfall for our area.

And while we in the greater Western Washington area aren't known for our driving abilities in even just a 1/2" of white stuff, we do know what to do with it once it sticks to the ground!

Cookie couldn't wait to get out and play in it.

Official Snowman Construction Team

Soon all the foot-drag "skiing" and snow angel making gave way to snowman design. Cookie dubbed our snowman "Hot Enchilada Guy".

"Why, yes, our snowman is wearing a sombero."

In an unfortunate accident, our dear H.E.G. lost his head, and so, he was transformed into a smaller version of himself.

And once a snowman is made, you know what time it is...

"Put 'em up, put 'em up."

Commence pelting the parentals with snowballs...yeehaw!

Moose cleverly trys to defend himself with the ice "shield" from the birdbath.

Since then, another storm has made it's way here.

It started around 1 a.m. and has been snowing ever since. We've received about 4-5 inches, but it's still snowing. Maybe we will get that predicted 9 inches.

The 243rd St. Bunny Hill is open for business one last time for us. :)

Thank goodness at the new house, the Bunny Hill is right on our property--and isn't a thru street. Although, the new bunny hill may actually qualify as a Black Diamond Trail, as it is pretty steep and has a fenced pasture as a stop guard. Nothing a few bails of hay can't help though. :)

And you know whatelse is cool about the new house?

They are supposed to get 12-18 inches of the magical white stuff!

(which incidentally does nothing for those of us trying to move, however it will be something to look forward to again in the future! Hoorah!)

The Floorplan

2012-01-13T17:58:00.000-08:00

Here's what we have to work with. It's so quaint, yet thankfully not a dollhouse. :)

The 1st Floor

The 2nd Floor

Now that we own the place, i can breathe. I wasn't going to believe it until someone started demanding monthly payment from us. And now they are. :)

This was the first house i've ever purchased (the one that we live in now doesn't count, because Moose did all the hard work before i moved in.) I can't believe how nerve-wracking it is to sign all that paperwork in just a few minutes. Ei yi ei!! I will never buy another house without a lawyer present, i tell you that! Maybe they could help me research "boiler plate" contracts in the real estate game, helping me not feel so lost come time to sign things of which i do not know. Thankfully, Moose purchases properties in his work, so he is familiar with the process and jargon. Never have i felt like such a housewife!

As a side note, did you know that an expired Costco card counts as a "second i.d." when applying for a home loan? :)

In the negotiation with the sellers of the home, we agreed to allow them to inhabit the house until they could find a new home of their own. After they move, we'll need to paint the upstairs bedrooms before we move our furniture in (with much help as i'll have a bandaged left wing at that point.)

Then from there, it is anyone's guess really.

And with a yard like this (just in time for planting season to start), who knows what'll happen next!

a sloppy rendition of the property

The Fortune Cookie Knows

2012-01-10T15:48:00.000-08:00

I've been slightly apprehensive about believing we were moving.

We've had so many opportunities to own neat houses blindside us, because we were sold on the idea that just because we were liked them, they were as good as ours.

However, we've been going out to favourite haunts in our area, as though we won't be here much longer. Just last week, i had a hankerin' for some Chinese buffet, and we visited the local place that everyone frequents because basically it's so bad, it's good. You catch my drift? I mean, really, who would think that a pan of tater tots resting between the egg drop soup and the Mongolian beef is authentic Chinese cuisine? However one of the reasons why people love this place is their propensity for comfort food--personally, i feel no one holds a candle to their Korean glass noodles.

They do have fortune cookies, which i've always curiously suspected are more hyped Americana than traditional Chinese cuisine. Coincidentally, this was my fortune.

How did it know?

Because 9 days later, we are the proud new owners of this beauty.

picture courtesy Windermere MLS

And so the moving adventures of

Whit, her man Moose and their little Cookie Monster take flight!

Finally proving the ol' adage that if you pack it, you will move it. :)

Hope you'll stay tuned...

Contents of My Dream Home

2012-01-01T19:55:00.000-08:00

Someday, i'd like a cottage, maybe a shoppe of our own. And i ***love*** to use this porch from a little house in Sumner as inspiration.

Things i'd change: remove the screen door and paint the front door as red as a British phonebooth.

P.S. 26 more days :)

The Unusual Christmas of 2011

2011-12-29T11:40:00.000-08:00

This Christmas sure was different from any Christmas we had celebrated before. Especially because we hardly had any furniture left in our living room. You might say to company making the holiday rounds, "Please, pull up a box and join us." But then you'd notice the "BREAKABLE" warning on the side.

Living in a large metro area, the biggest objective for me regarding the last three weeks of the year is simple. AVOID CROWDS! At. All. Costs. Sadly, the perishables won't keep two weeks before Christmas, so instead i try shopping for all my Christmas baking needs the week before Christmas and my Christmas dinner and the week after needs about 5 days before Christmas. This is when i miss living in Spokane the most!!

All our packing nonsense was just sheer and total distraction from our usually scheduled holiday cheer, however we didn't experience many flops in certain things i usually struggle with around this time of year. Here is my note to self...little improvement needed next year, but with a lot less "cardboard decor" around the house. May in reading these ramblings, you'll find inspiration to make your holiday operation run a little smoother too.

1. Christmas gifts: we kept it extremely simple this year with family. Only the kids received gift cards for the bookstore. And i bought these in November, instead of waiting for the week before Christmas! I'm getting smarter with age. :) Next year, we would like to give gifts of homemade preserves from our farm to family. No arguments here! That means a portion of the year's Christmas shopping will be done by July! Hooray!

2. Christmas baking: i used the KISS method this year. We made the traditional manacotti--two 15oz containers of ricotta in the recipe yielded 3 batches of manacotti filling! Meaning Christmas Eve dinner was taken care of not only for our neighbour, but for us as well. And with one batch in the freezer for New Years! Baking them off on Christmas Eve morning proved fortuitous. After Mass that night, we were able to invite a dear one to our house to share comfort food and the Mickey Roonie Santa shows. Is there anything better than spending your time visiting with guests while the meal is only needing a reheat? Lookin' like such a rock star makes me one happy momma!!

Following the KISS method also meant only one new cookie recipe was introduced this year. We baked the usual Pepparkakor (gingerbread), Lime Meltaways from Martha Stewart's Cookie Book, and banana bread. And truly, we didn't even need the banana bread.

What i liked about this was the simplicity in them. Yet still very kid friendly! Also to note is that these cookie doughs can be made ahead and frozen till you need them. Ahhhh, hear that?!? Next year is getting simpler already!

3. Double a Dinner: just before the week of Christmas, i made a double batch of Ina Garten's Chicken Stew with Biscuits. Not intentionally, mind you. Still getting used to my butter coming in half pound increments. :) I only doubled the stew part though, leaving out the chicken and biscuits in the 2nd batch. It kept beautifully in an air tight bowl in the back of the fridge for a week and 1/2. The first batch sustained us for a few lunches and dinners, alternating with homemade spaghetti sauce and mac n cheese. Just as we were starting to tire of these offerings, it was time for Christmas dinner. And now, as the New Year approaches, we have another dinner taken care of. Once i roast a chicken and make some biscuits. :)

4. Heavy Handed Use of KISS for Christmas Day: Didn't i just plan and cook a Thanksgiving feast just a month ago? Although it was fun, i was already in the kitchen enough the week prior to Christmas making cookies. Plus i got a wonderful new cookbook for Christmas to consume before the day was over!! So, for breakfast, it was a coffee cake, cold cereal, and fruit. For noontime snack, our fridge was a honey hole of leftovers. And for the feast, we ate ham, steak, mashed potatoes, and broccoli casserole at 2pm. Dessert? You guessed it--cookies! :) When dinnertime came around, none of us were hungry. As the evening went on, we snacked on popcorn.

One thing that i relied more on this year was frozen foods. We purchase all our meat from a local organic butcher who freezes all his cuts. Our food co-op has handy 5lb packs of broccoli, corn, peas. Focusing on the use of these next year into healthier meals, combined with our new gardening practices, may just be the ticket to not having to hit a grocery the whole month of December!! Well, a girl can dream, right?

I would say the only thing missing is simpler lunches this time of year. We need a huge bowl of fresh veggies, salad, or sauerkraut in the fridge! All these rich, gratuitous meals are wearing on our digestive tracts.

Also good to note: this isn't the time to chow down at your favourite mexican food restaurant in town, unless you stick to the taco salad!! :)
Hoping you have a wonderful New Year's celebration!

Givin' a Whole New Meaning to December 26th

2011-12-26T16:41:00.000-08:00

Who says we don't celebrate Boxing Day in the USA? :)

The good thing about packing your bathroom before a surgery scheduled just before you move...

you'll find all those boxes of gauze and paper tape that you may have purchased with last year's flex benefits, saving you from having to get more!! Bonus: post-surgery will require their use, so they won't be taking up valuable space in your new *small* house. :)

Good guys win!

Now :: boxing the kitchen. Is there anything merrier?

Merry Christmas!!

If It Ain't One Thing...

2011-12-20T09:27:00.000-08:00

Hello Friends,

Being the end of the year, it's doctor appointment time, eh? All of us have busy schedules already, but when something comes up at a well check, it just makes this time of the year exponentially more stressful. Do you know what i mean?

Well, we feel that way here at our house anyway. A routine skin check has lead to the discovery of a spot of melanoma on my body. It is as good as cancer news can be and will be taken care of with a little outpatient surgery, THANKS BE TO GOD!! Unfortunately, the surgery is slated to occur 3 days prior to our move...ei yi ei yi ei!

I am trying my best not to be petulant about that little inconvenient fact, especially when i start feeling down or sullen; i am trying to remember to pray for those who may not have the access to health care to receive such good news . Our country really is antiquated and unfair when it comes to such things.

Please remember to get those annual check ups! And if you are fortunate enough to have health care insurance and a little extra pocket change to boot, please consider giving to your community resources that make annual check ups available to our brothers and sisters in our areas who are without medical insurance!!

Such seriousness also needs balance. Wanting to share with you one of the coolest little blessings from our busy schedule: Cookie Monster's dance school put on a holiday feis yesterday as their Christmas party. You'll never believe what the trophies looked like.

Congratulations, Cookie Monster!!

This Could Be All Mine and Moose's

2011-12-05T22:07:00.000-08:00

Well, the Moose in the pic is already mine... :)

Financing gods, don't fail us now. :)

The inspection is complete--no red flags.

Whew!

Not to shabby for an early 20th century home!

The first sunny day we've been out at the property, and we do have a little

sneak "peak" of Mt. Rainier.

This is the view closer to town.

Red barn peeking out of the trees.

Fenced pastures.

Beautiful farms at every turn.

Friendly people.

Gotta love this place!!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like We're Moving...

2011-11-29T14:13:00.000-08:00

Hello. How are you?

How was your Thanksgiving? Hoping your turkey was delicious and your gravy was lump-free!

For the first time in almost 11 years of marriage, i cooked Thanksgiving dinner. Turkey, mash, gravy, brussel sprouts with bacon and chestnuts in maple syrup, stuffing, cheese bread, and pumpkin pie. Whew! It was very enjoyable--especially because we got to stay in our scruffies all day and change just before sitting down to eat our meal. And i didn't poison anyone. :)

This past month we've been living in anticipation of moving and out of boxes and the chaos is starting to really wear on us, however it looks like there is a light at the end of the tunnel that isn't an oncoming freight train.

I'll let you know more when we are for sure of the details, but for right now, i like to think of the day when we hopefully live in the sweet little community of farmers in a city nestled in the foothills of this mountain in the picture.

I keep praying that everything works together this time!

So, i'm gonna say that until next year, this little hapless blog may be even more neglected that it already is. As soon as i can, i'll be back to resuscitate it and show you all the changes that we hope will be going on around here. You'll love it. I promise!

And most importantly, i want to wish you all a wonderful holiday season and a blessed Christmas! Hoping your preparations go smoothly and your time with family and friends is plentiful and enjoyable!

Merry Christmas!
Fondly,
Whit

Halloween Decorations

2011-11-09T09:00:00.000-08:00

With Cookie's feis the weekend before Halloween, we were a little late in getting our outdoor decorations out for the trick or treaters. That and packing up a 2700 sq ft house doesn't really afford a lot of time for arts and crafts, either.

When we returned home on Sunday the 30th, we made a plan of attack so that we could have a fun day of Halloween arts and crafts.

First we hit the store, looking for a pumpkin. Would you believe they were all sold out?!?!? So, Plan B became hulling out an overgrown zucchini from our garden which Cookie named Gina.

Next, we were looking to find orange balloons from the one-stop shop to make the ol' Martha glow-in- the-dark faces with glow sticks. Neery a orange balloon in site, we found white balloons to make ghosts and orange paper plates to make pumpkin faces.

Mr. Pumpkin Ghost and the Cowardly Lion

Another ghost and a pirate pumpkin

Skeleton

Wicked witch

Another craft we had on hand was spurred on by a chemistry experiment entitled Do Molecules Really Disappear? in which we had to see if flour would dissolve in water like sugar does. With all that paste left over from the experiment, it seemed like a shame to throw it out. So we covered a balloon with paper mache and it languish on our piano for a couple weeks till we figured out a use for it.

With a little black paint, some construction, and yarn to hang him out our window above our walkup to assist, we'd like to introduce you to: Batty!

Last but not least was Cookie's phenomenial crown she designed. Moose helped with the construction of the base of the crown, and Cookie designed the rest using glow-in-the-dark stars and other embellishments we had on hand.

Does that look like a hip Glenda the Good Witch crown, or what?!?!?

Busy Weekend

2011-10-31T15:39:00.000-07:00

Amongst the packing and cleaning schedule, we had a trip to Vancouver, WA for a feis. Needless to say, we hit the road just in time to dance, then rush home (after one little impromptu side trip.)
Here are some pictures from the weekend...

1st Place Single Jig!!

St. John's Vancouver

We're movin' on up..to Prizewinner!!

The Mashtun Pub -- NE Portland

Salt & Straw Ice Cream....NE Portland

Happy Halloween Everyone!

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like....

2011-10-25T08:32:00.000-07:00

we're moving?!?

I certainly hope so!

I don't want to say too much about it, because i don't want to be a Debbie Downer about the place we are hoping to leaving (especially if it means we're staying--ha!) Also not wanting to let myself gush about where we are heading, because the fall will be that much farther if we lose the opportunity again, this time around.

We are busy packing and moving boxes, readying rooms for strangers to walk through (has anyone put their houses on the market lately? is it just me that isn't thrilled with all the nonsense that has to be done for strangers so that they can "imagine" themselves here? really? really?!?! i'm responsible to pay $,$$$ for someone to come in my home to have a daydream?!? what?!?! thanks a-helpin' n a-heapin' you HGTV people! i disgress. ahem sorry about that.) :)

anywho, with all the activity that comes with moving, and with the currently packed calendar, my little journal here is going to have to take a seat even further back in the bus, behind school yet just in front of sanity and crafting. Now some say it's a short bus. :) Ah, but is it because i choose to drive one or....? :)

Also, is it wrong to call packing and organising boxes "homeschool"? Well, you know, those college years are about 9 years away...Cookie's gotta learn to pack up and fly from the nest someday. :) Proving once again that "Homeschool is Life-school", eh?

Oh, incidently, a tip for those out there with children who are "hating math" all of the sudden when they hit double digit multiplication. Take them to the candy aisle. :) My dear Cookie wants nothing more that to 1. Stop doing math and 2. Hand out Hallowe'en candy. And sadly, Toots, those two things don't jive. So while including her in the candy shopping for this year, she discovered that some packages didn't say how many items were inside. Oh no! How would we know how many trick or treaters we could hop up on sugar? A quick check of the "nutrition (ha!) label" gives you information that you need to calculate the quantity--that job, of course, going to your little goblin. Real life math in action! As you see the light bulb start to flicker above your child's head and the gears in there start causing their little eyes to roll back and forth across their their face, their math hardened heart will start swelling. It does come with a warning though: don't give the completely uncool "See, I Told You You'd Need Math in Real Life" speech, because that's the killer. Just trust me on that one. :)

Most of all, wanting to wish you all a wonderful end to October and a safe Hallowe'en.

Lions and Tigers and Bears....Oh My!

2011-10-20T09:23:00.000-07:00

It's birthday time here in our household (which unfortunately coincides with house-hunting efforts without fail for the past 4 years. Wish us luck this time around, eh? For sanity's sake!)

I don't know if you know this or not, but this Nine Year Old stuff is serious business. Cookie is growing up, there's no denying that, but outside of the public school system, i never figured she'd be so opinionated or hip as to what "cool" was.

We toss around the idea of a penny carnival for her party. I had high hopes (especially because that is an all-sexes event, you know?) However, in the end, it boiled down to one thing: Cookie wanted to have a tea with her girlie friends. Sorry Best Friend Who's A Boy. :)

Meaning, we will need to host two shindigs--one for the best friend who's like a brother and one for the girlies. :) Who wouldn't love their birthday drawn out this way, eh? Even though it's not my first preference to have two gatherings, at least it provided me a belly laugh when i was able to joke with Mr. Best Friend and say, "Hey, guess what? We figured out what we're going to do for Cookie's party and i think you are going to have the most fun!!" When he heard what was in store, i believe i saw him turn green a little--and it wasn't the shade of envy, either. :)

In the days that followed, i gave Cookie some gentle direction into what would make a fun tea. We devised menus and baking ideas. We could have the girls make popovers or something to contribute to the feast. Rest of the time they could play games or.... So what Cookie cooked up on her own was wildly interesting, to say the least. One day, she mentioned she'd like to have a Wizard of Oz tea. Well, that would proved direction for the theme, so off we went to the craft store to find papers (Graphics 45 makes a series) and stamps to craft invitations.

A couple days later she says, "Wouldn't a spa tea be fun Mom?" "Well, sure, who wouldn't love a spa tea, hon, but how does that fit with the Wizard of Oz?" "Maaaaaaahhhhhom?!?!? You know that part in the movie where they get all spiffed up to see Oz? That's how!"

And so was born thee "Wizard of Oz Spa Tea" Birthday Party.

First.....Invites.

Party Invites for the Girls

We found this wonderful piece of paper from Graphics 45 with these four images contained on it. On the reverse is a repeating pattern of ruby slippers--perfect for little girlies! Conveniently, we need four invitations only, so we split the page accordingly.

We found an old map of Kansas on the Internets on one of their state government archives sites and after a little manipulating in a art program on our computer, we came up with this for the back of the cards.

The dimensions of the cards turned out to fit a 6 1/2" x 6 1/2" envelope.

With the stuffin' done, it was time to decorate the envelopes.

Our stamps consisted of the four majour Wiz of Oz characters and Toto and some sayings.

These ruby slippers and the "Yellow Brick Road" were included.

Here we were able to experiment with our "graphic art" lesson, and we found out which part of the stamps to ink so that when we stamped the red shoes on top, they wouldn't be orange. :) We stamped them on the front corner of the envelope.

On the back of the card, Cookie played with the arrangement of characters until they fit just right.

Then she stamped it all and a saying up at the top that reads "The Magic of Oz".

I found this beauty supply house called MMS online, ordered materials for making lip balms, scented bath salts, and we will be making sugar scrubs too. We decided to use plain ol' canning jars for our containers for the salts and scrub.

In the coming days, we'll be stamping tags and bags and making labels for our friends.

And what i love most about all this is we get to call it homeschool!! :)

My Kind of Homeschooling :: Knights of Veritas

2011-10-11T10:59:00.000-07:00

We were fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time a little while back. Figuratively AND literally. Cookie's stuck in history, reveling in knights and damsels and castles. Coincidentally, a local bookstore, where you can purchased used books by the pound no less, was celebrating the Hobbit movie announcement with a "Tolkein Tea". They hired a group, The Knights of Veritas, from Moses Lake, WA to come for a demonstration.

The Knights presentation really debunks the myths of sword fighting and medieval armour that Hollywood has engrained in our minds. The presenters taught us not only the words for the 4 different attack stances, but also took us through the geometry of a real sword fight. Basically, you always want your defense to end with your sword's point threatening your rival...and they taught us which movements would get us a victory through slow-motion sword fighting by letting the audience tell them their next move should be. Then once we worked it all out, the sword fight would commence in real time. :)

Below is my favourite fight of the day. The one that wasn't deconstructed, so we had no idea what was going to happen!

We were able to see what it takes for these gentlemen to dress in their armour piece by piece; we even got to touch real mail. The mail was amazing--interwoven chains that were riveted together. During the demostration, once they had both put on their mail, one of the men took his sword and started beating the edge of it against the chest and back of the other man without wounding him. Completely amazing!

Piece by piece,

an armoured knight

was assembled in front of our eyes.

Then they got down to business. :)

It was a wonderful, informative, and enjoyable presentation. Cookie gave it a 10 out of 10 rating, whether she gave it that because she got to hold a sword after the presentation, i am not sure. :)

Hoping you will someday get to see the Knights of "Truth" in your area!

Last Garden Look-see?

2011-10-04T09:09:00.000-07:00

Fall is here.

But i don't have to be all in love with that fact, do i?

It is a glorious season, i'll give it that.

A favourite of mine.

That is, when we have a proper summer. :)

Here about 50% of the summer garden has been put to bed.

We are still waiting on the corn to ripen.

This year, we experimented with short season corn. It grew to 2-3 feet and sprouted tassels.

Funny little things, yet very efficient. We didn't even plant them until the 4th of July.

Next year, i will try succession planting them in little blocks and hope we have a longer corn season.

I do miss the 6 foot tall varieties, so maybe when we get a little more space, we can grow that just for fun and fall decorating. :)

Another thing i was very surprised to find in the garden was a musk melon the size of a golf ball.

We planted these in June, which might have been a little too long to wait.

Really need a greenhouse structure in my future. :)

We did have luck growing one small pumpkin this year.

And although our roma toms didn't produce too well this year, we did end up with a ton of cherry toms. I cleaned about 10 bunches this weekend from one vine. That's not including the ones we robbed during the season of dining outdoors. :)

While cleaning out the squash and toms this weekend, i noticed there are arrent little pea vines popping up here and there. I was inspired to try a little experimenting. I planted a few rows of dwarf snap peas and used some of the seed tapes Cookie and i made for next Spring (we are getting organised now, as we areever hopefully of a relocation this winter!) Included in the seed tapes are Black Seeded Simpson lettuce, Samish Savoy winter hardy spinach, French Breakfast radishes, and a little Big Seeded Mache. We haven't tried mache before, so we will see how it goes.

I've planted these things in the bed where the potatoes were. It will be interesting to see if things sprout as well this time of year as they would in our March. Should anything sprout, i've divided them into groups so that we can erect cold frames around them. As we pull the corn out of the ground, the chickens will be parked over this area of the garden more and more, helping us make the space a little more fruitful next year.

Hoping your Fall gardening is going well and less soggy than sunny.

Enjoying the Fruits of Summer

2011-09-30T08:14:00.000-07:00

We are in love with a simple new to us way of enjoying fruit.

I can't wait to try it with apples!!

The best part is, it's like eating pie, without having to flute a crust (still working on that, wondering if i'll ever be able to make a new looking fluted crust in my lifetime) or pre bake your pie dough.

In France, they call them galettes, but i call them tarts.

Make your favourite pie dough.

Roll it out on a sheet of parchment.

Move parchment to a baking sheet and sprinkle a small amount of your favourite cookie or cake crumbs on the dough, leaving about 2 - 3 inch border from the edge.

We make orange nutmeg shortbread from Grand Central Bakery's cookbook for our galettes, simply because we like having those around too. :)

Next, mix up some pie filling with fresh fruits--shorting the sugar if you like and

adding your favourite spices.

Here we used cinnamon, sugar, a little clove, and nectarines and peaches.

Arrange the fruit over your crumbs on your pie crust.

Fold the edges of your crust up over the fruit, leaving a small uncovered area about the size of a tea cup saucer.

Bake as you would a pie...

Ain't it peachy?

Gig Harbor: Wilkinson Farm City Park

2011-09-28T06:43:00.000-07:00

Under a five minute drive from downtown Gig, between the residential areas and Hwy 16, located on the Cushman Bike Trail, is the Wilkinson Farm City Park. Today, 17 acres, of the original purchase by this pioneer family, have been dedicated to open space by the city of Gig Harbor. On the grounds, along the trails through the woods, you will find an original barn (erected 1914) and a few out buildings.

a holly grove

There are also beautiful green lawns surrounded by apple trees to have a picnic on.

What a beautiful place for an old dairy farm!

Historical signage

The best feature of the property was the community gardens on site!

Gig Harbor has many talented gardeners out there!

Love this sign!

What a great idea for plant markers in a maritime community garden!

Tomorrow, i'll show you a few more sites around town.

Gig Harbor, WA

2011-09-27T09:41:00.000-07:00

Since we're falling into a bit of a routine here with the school year starting, i'm figurin it's time to start catching up on the blog here a little bit. We've had some great adventures this summer and i'd love to share some pictures with you.

First up is Gig Harbor, WA. It's a town nestled on a bay about a 40 mile drive from Seattle with gorgeous views of the water and island topography with Mt. Rainier as the backdrop. Fitting of this area, you're first views of Gig Harbor come when you cross Sturdy Gertie (the Narrows Bridge).

Gig Harbor taken from Finholm Hill Climb

Gig Harbor residences from Uptown

View of Downtown Gig from opposite shore

The first day we were there, i focused on gaining my bearings. After finding the Chamber of Commerce and picking up a couple maps, i drove around locating a few of my areas of interest. Most of the area is residential, and we're not talking like any kind of middle class residential spots either, so i was a little nervous to be walking around looking for things like lighthouses and such if it looked like i had to "trespass" on property. The driving out there is easy and gorgeous though.

I had just enough time to investigate the Finholm Hill Climb. A family by the name of Finholm has a market in Uptown. They are long time residents of the area. Behind their store is a huge parking lot with a set of stairs that heads up the cliff there. It's in the style of an urban park--along the sides of the stairs are beautiful weeping cedars and fir trees with rhodies and such. It's worth the climb to get views like these.

The town is full of little shops from bakeries to whole foods grocers to women's boutique clothing and knick knack shacks. They even have a cafe with a pottery painting store in it.

Tomorrow i'll be back with a few little field trips i went on...in the surrounding parks.

Welcome to Washington, Mr. President!

2011-09-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

We had an exciting weekend this weekend! On the calendar of events was a Knights of Veritas sword fighting demonstration and Tolkein Tea at a local book store, but also a Comet and Asteriod presentation at the Boeing Museum of Flight.

Yesterday, we arrived at the Boeing and saw a whole mess of law enforcement officials and barricades everywhere. Something in my brain dislodged and reminded me that i had heard that President Obama was coming to Seattle for fundraising events this weekend. Boy, did we pick the right day to head to Seattle or what?

And of course, all i brought was my cell phone camera. Grrrr!

Air Force One (Boeing 747) Pres Obama on approach

It was one of those days that wasn't supposed to be a school day, but ended up being more educational than most of our school days at home, where we sit and learn the basics of math and English. Those are the days that rejuvinate my love of homeschooling!

We arrived just in time for the comet class, but when we heard that President Obama would be arriving in 50 minutes, Cookie decided she wanted to skip the comets and wait for the President. :)

We talked about the security that we saw around the area (bomb squad dogs, law enforcement from every town within a 60 mile radius, cops driving by checking license plates of big vehicles, etc.) We talked about the relationship between the president's security and our country's well being, the presidents that have been attacked in recent years, the Obama family, and the riggers of being a president of a whole country and how that compared to the schedule of our head bacon bringer, Moose.

The most intriguing part of our discussion was the decoy mechanisms that the Secret Service uses for the president. Cookie loved the idea that they basically play a shell game with the president and his planes and cars. :)

Air Force One (Boeing 747) parked above the tail of the B-17

Once the plane landed, we headed inside for something to eat. I never imagined the motorcade these day would pass by so close to spectators. I felt so bad, because from where we were standing to view the plane's arrival, we would have been able to see President Obama face to face. Apparently, he even rolled down his window to wave, because we heard that there were a few people who had seen a really nice picture of the president from someone's camera. Rabbits!

From the cafeteria, we were able to see the motorcade for a distance--how things have changed in the few years. The president's motorcade included, but was not limited to, an ambulance, a bomb squad, and numberous unmarked vans.

In the museum, we were able to see video footage of Pres. Kennedy dedicating NASA. And Cookie Monster was thrilled to brave the soggy weather to see a former Air Force One (Boeing 707) on display from the Lynden Johnson era.

Once we returned home, we heard on the news that the President Obama was leaving Seattle. There was a bit of a delay because of an emergency medical flight arriving the same time he was to depart. Thankfully, that give me enough time to shake another piece of information from my tired ol' brain. When "W" was president, and came to Seattle, we could see his plane from our deck. So Cookie and i headed out with a proper camera and binoculars in hand this time.

And we were rewarded with Air Force One flying right over the roof of our home!!

Air Force One (Boeing 747) Pres Obama

Hope you had a fruitful visit to the Seattle area, Mr. President, and we wish you a

safe journey home to your family.

Rescued From Goodwill

2011-09-21T06:51:00.000-07:00

August was a good month for treasures at G'Willys.

I found this really neat crocheted piece at the G'Willy in Gig Harbor while Cookie was in dance camp. I must have walked around with it in my arms for an hour trying to decide whether i should get it or not. :) Having that debate with myself...you know the one where you say, "oh i could do that," when truthfully, you don't even know what kind of crochet this is. :)

I haven't decided whether to use it as a throw yet. I put it down on our hardwood floors in our living room and i think i actually squeaked. It would make a dashing rug...Moose said he would never walk on it though, so that could be a problem should he want to get to his chair in the living room. :)

I also found this little throw last week. Made from a bunch of busy nine patches sewn together. It's a tied bound quilt. Right now it is doing a wonderful job of covering our potatoes and keeping them from getting green. :)

After that, i think i may use it as a cover on our ottoman. I've been using old tablecloths to do that now, but it kinda creeps me out when people put their feet on them. All i can think is, "hey, i eat off that tablecloth sometimes!" :)

Found this little sack for Cookie Monster.

Thought it would make a lovely library bag.

It came with the tags still on it; apparently it was from a children's clothing company in Illinois called Apron Strings. I wonder if it housed a sweet little summer dress in it?

Maybe someday i can contract my mom to make Cookie's initial to replace the "L" on the bag.

There'll be more another day, as i still have to wash up some of the other finds.

Just been running out of time between schoolin' and irish dancin'. :)

Hope you all are having a great week!

Contents of my Dream Home

2011-09-20T14:55:00.000-07:00

I have been having this reoccurring daydream lately. Moose told me about a co-worker that has planted a portable demonstration garden in the back of an old pickup. What a cool idea for community outreach, eh? That got me to thinking....

What if you build a chicken coop in the back of an old pickup? You could drive it around the paddocks and leave your chickens to free range for a few weeks.

I think an old truck like this might work...

1961 Ford Econoline Pickup

This one recently sold in Ontario for $15,000CAN. Of course, i need one a little less. :) And obviously the truck would need to be turquoise (my favourite colour.) We could paint the coop white. Maybe built in the Bavarian style. With some red shutters and window boxes on it. :) Can't you just imagine a little chicken ramp out the back with a mess of barred rocks run down it?

Moose is gonna panic when he reads this. :)

My curiousity about different trucks led me to a neat website, Old Parked Cars. It's a blog by a few friends that as far as i can tell are from Oregon, and they take pictures of some of the old cars they see around their town. They also take reader submissions.

Lots of neat trucks on there!

Maybe i'll need to have a couple different trucks with coops built in the back. Like this Chevy truck...painted cherry red!!

Tuesday's Garden Look-See

2011-09-20T14:06:00.000-07:00

We've had a couple of good harvests from the garden the past couple weeks. That last burst of hot weather a couple weeks ago did the tomatoes good. We are seeing more yellow and red out there...hoping to sustain them till the end of the month. Work with us, Mother Nature!

Here's today's harvest in time for dinner: green beans, cherry toms, and a couple of carrots for Cookie Monster. Should be quite tasty with tuna melts!

This year's potato harvest of bittersweet. Out of a ten foot section of Red Chief potatoes we grew a whole whopping 5 spuds. It has to be our mistake though, because the Yellow Finn seed from the same seed company grew about 15 pounds from 10 feet of seed.

Bring on the au gratins!!

This week is supposed to be another mild fall week. Sunny and in the mid to upper 70's. Not typical Seattle weather, but we'll take it!

Back to (Almost) Normal

2011-09-13T16:33:00.000-07:00

Today, our family left and we miss them terribly already (especially Cookie Monster, who was with her Granny and Grandpa for 4 weeks!)

School starts tomorrow...officially.

Oddly enough, just as some of the public school kids around here have to interupt their school year because their teachers have decided to strike...after already working 7 days without a contract.

Summer had its last hoorah here last week and we actually had our one and only 90 degree day of Summer 2011.

Hoping you all have a great week!

Experiments with Bread :: To Seed, or Not To Seed

2011-09-03T15:07:00.000-07:00

With a little time to myself this week while the Cookie Monster is at Grandma and Grandpa camp, i have to resort to things such as experimenting with the house bread recipe for cheap entertainment. :)

We love a certain kind of nutty-seeded bread around here, and being that it is in every grocery around here, it is quite easy to get lazy and throw a couple loaves in the ol' shopping cart each week. However, at $5 or more a loaf, that could eat up my crafting budget. :) Time to replicate this as best i can at home, eh? I've perfected my preferred signature design for a loaf...that little swirl at the end reminds me of a little belly button for some reason.

One thing i haven't perfected yet is the precise seed/nut ratio to include in the bread.

This is my second attempt...

let's just say it's better than my first, which left taste testers in utter disbelief

of any seeds having been added.

So this time, i am taking notes:

to house recipe i've added

1T flax, 1T chia, 1T sesame, 2T pumpkin, and 2T sunflower.

Also, *self*, throw a blanket of foil over the poor chap at 30 minutes in, will ya?!

And it's not nearly enough!!

More experiments needed to say the least, however at least there'll be plenty of toast this week. :)

There and Back Again

2011-09-02T18:41:00.000-07:00

Just returned from the Wilds of Idaho, hence the cricket noises that have taken over this blog. :)

I'll finish up my Alphabet in August and bring you a few other stories from our adventures in ID.

sound advice for a three day weekend, eh?

Hope you all have a safe and relaxing Labour Day weekend!

Sunday Stills :: The Letter B

2011-08-22T07:30:00.000-07:00

Over at Sunday Stills this week, our challenge was to find and photograph something beginning with the letter "B".

If catagorizing this under "Beauty" doesn't work.....

thankfully there are a few boats in there. :)

Visit Sunday Stills for more photos of "B" things.

The Letter J

2011-08-19T06:16:00.000-07:00

jig - i can dance it. For a little while i studied Irish dancing. It's very confusing to me...something that needs to be a sole focus for me to really grasp. Unfortunately.... It is a ton of fun though and a great workout!

jovial - usually, particularly when we have quiet days that don't require us to do anything but enjoy each other's company.

jammer - i looooove making jam!

Jennifer - my real name, however since there are sooooooo many of us i usually never answer when called by it, which annoys my friends to no end. Why you may ask? In college, someone thought they'd be funny and put practically every Jennifer on campus on one dorm floor. Out of 24ish girls, we had 17 Jennifers living all in the same space. Hence why, i'm Whit. :) P.S. Hi MacD!! (yup, another Jennifer.) :)

The Letter I

2011-08-18T06:12:00.000-07:00

introverted - i am a little shy around new situations or people in general. sadly, people usually mistake introverts for snobs or goody-two-shoes.

indebted - to many people for their love and care, especially my parents.

Irish - red hair, blue eyes, infectious laugh and quick wit....yup, i'm Irish alright. :)

Letter H

2011-08-17T18:11:00.000-07:00

hairdresser - recently started giving Moose his haircuts. Now if only i could convince him to pay me. :)

Hallowe'en - my favourite holiday!!

hamburgers - one of my favourite foods, piled with carmelised onions, whole grain mustard, a juicy tomato and cheese...mmmm...can't beat that.

house - hunting - something i am going very weary of!

Doin' the Jig in Gig

2011-08-17T09:54:00.000-07:00

Thanks, Pop, for that catchy little saying...

It's what we've been doing all week so far. Cookie has an Irish dancing camp in a spot on the WA peninsula called Gig Harbor. There will be plenty of photos to share coming up.

I had to show you this one though. It's simply unbelievable the people you'll run into in Gig.

A Wonderful WA Weekend

2011-08-14T20:57:00.000-07:00

Hi! How was your weekend? I hope it was as amazing as ours.

Moose's childhood friend brought his family up for a vacation and made contact.

We hosted a little gathering on Friday evening--it was wonderful--kids running around, old friends reminiscing, and new friends being discovered....

Toward the end of the evening, plans were being made to get together the following day.

A trip to Mt. Rainier!! Woot!

Moose's friend, A, his wife and child met us the following morning at our place. We ventured from there up Hwy 410 to the side of Mt. Rainier known as Sunrise. After our picnic lunch, A's wife picked the perfect hike: Sunrise Nature Trail, a 1.5mi relatively flat trail that gives you a great view of the mountain and surrounding terrain.

Glimpse of what lies ahead

At Mt. R, many of the trees grow wonky due to low oxygen levels at such high altitude.

Moose thinks they look like Dr. Seuss trees. :)

The Adventurers

After our hike, we headed down into a little town Moose and i are currently in love with, had dinner, and we attended a little community production of Wizard of Oz.

All in all, it was a perfect day.

State of the Homeschool Address :: Year 3

2011-08-13T06:19:00.000-07:00

With such a busy summer this year, school prep was squeezed in when i could. After some work this week (thanks Mom, for enduring hours of "Felt World" play with Cookie over the cell phone!), i am happy to report that we have a plan.

Not that i am certain of how our daily routines are going to go, but we at least have a scope and sequence!! How we are going to fit it in, well....that is to be determined.

2011 - 2012 Subjects (aka Appeasing the State of Washington Re: Their "11 Required Subjects" ):

Math, Grammar, Writing, Spelling, Reading, Chemistry, History, Latin, Art/Art History, Music, Irish Dancing, Swimming, and Religious Ed.

Okay, okay, that's not eleven. So there's two more thrown in for good measure. :)

The lowdown:

Math - we will be finishing up Saxon 3 from last year. We made it all the way through to Lsn 117 before i went off on my tangent on loosening up the homeschool scheduled scene around here. Especially because really, how do you make it relevant to an 8 year old that they need to master Pre-Algebra theories now, because someday they will need them. Truthfully, the Saxon 5/4 book is scaring me. Not wanting to put pressure on my wee Cookie, i want her to play with the new skills she's just acquired through multipication tables and such. Since she is a year ahead anyway, i am going to present math more as a puzzle now. I really like the Saxon program, but we need to approach it more as a puzzle/game than a "lesson of the day". That way, hopefully it will be more like the approach to good lit...introduce the little brains to bits of the bigger ideas now and later they will be comfortable with the process when more may be required. And once we are finished with the text, we'll be delving into living math texts like Math on the Menu, where students help figure out the costs of starting and maintaining a restaurant business, and Checkbook Math, and starting our own little math curriculum here with our finances--maybe grocery math at first. Toward next spring, we'll start easing our way into Saxon 5/4--maybe after our annual testing.

Grammar - we'll be continuing with Jessie Wise's First Language Lessons for the third grade this year. We like the scripted lessons that we can both read together--little bits of learning at a time--with sweet poems for Cookie to memorise sprinkled inbetween. And this year we start diagramming sentences; something i am sorry to say was not a part of my elementary curriculum. We'll both be learning something new this year.

Writing - now that Cookie enjoys writing, we're going to hit the dictation hard and heavy. Writing With Ease is another book by the Wise family--Jessie's daughter Susan Wise Bauer. In it, she reinforces grammar basics through classic literature.

Spelling - we are taking some time off of Spell to Read and Write and going back to Spelling Workout. Spell to Read and Write is a good program, however we are getting bored with it because even their "fun" exercises are hard work for us. So, since Cookie likes crosswords and cursive now, she wanted to try Spelling Workout again.

Reading - we're still working through our Shakespeare and Canterbury Tales; King Arthur and all that.

Chemistry - Cookie can't wait to get started on Chemistry. She loves learning these magic tricks. :)
During the year we'll also get into some geology...we found a great rock hound curriculum that goes into chemical make up of rocks.

History - We're still working our way through the Middle Ages. Around March 2012, we'll enter into the Early Modern Times (1600 - 1850's).

Latin - we are starting with Prima Latina this year. Cookie's really excited about this. It will be interesting to see how it helps her with English and when we learn another language later down the road.

Art/Art History - we will continue reading about our favourite artists; books like Chasing Vermeer and such. We have been toying with chalks and oil pastels. We'll need to do more drawing this year. Our goals are also to visit the art museums two times and attend three children's theatre productions: Frog and Toad, Harold and the Purple Crayon, and Robin Hood.

Music - with all the Irish dancing, Cookie is learning timing. The piano we've kinda falling off of, but i figure we can listen to classical music in the car to and from classes. :)

Irish Dancing - this summer, Cookie solidified her standing as Novice in her softshoe dances. She started dancing in hardshoe numbers too. She'll have classes twice a week again, hoping to get ready to compete in another feis or two in October.

Swimming - we'll be starting again soon.

Religious Ed - the last two years were grueling, completing over 200 lessons written by our deacon at our church. Cookie aced the test for First Communion. Now, the deacon would like the kids to come back to live out their faith. It sounds like we'll be doing more hands on project to give to the community this year. Should be great!

We officially start in a couple weeks. We are going to finish up a few loose ends on vacation (constellations--because where we'll be we can actually see them.) :) Wish us luck! :)

Garden Look-See (picture heavy!!)

2011-08-11T05:43:00.000-07:00

I was able to get some photos of the garden last night, while letting the ladies wander around our yard. Our neighbour, we thinks, is building a fence out of pallets (waah!), and we've seen the dog a little less. Maybe i am just getting to lazy again, but my gals love to forage too much for me not to give them a little time out of the confines of a tractor or coop.

carrot seeds!!

boysenberries

I am a little disappointed with the boysenberries. The ripe ones are extremely sour, which would explain why the birds haven't eaten them before we had a chance to try them. The rest of this year, i am going to focus on improving this area (aka more coop litter and compost are headed this way) to see if we can improve soil conditions enough to improve these tasty jewels. :) Especially because these are in a sloped part of our yard, where maybe the drainage is "too good". :)

The summer is still cool. I think we made it out of the seventy's for a whole 3 or 4 days. But nothing hot enough to tame the rhubarb or the peas, like usual summers around here.

We've been able to grow one head of cauliflower this summer too. Out of twelve plants. :( More research is needed. :) Maybe start instituting foliar feedings?

Thankfully our squash is taking off. Three zuccs and a yellow squash already, then these to go. Maybe enough to make a ratatouille this weekend?!?

One experiment that turned out lovely this year was my edgings. I read about potagers half way through the growing season and fell in love with the clean look of edged gardens. Regardless of how garden beds ringed in boxwood makes me swoon, the last thing we need around here is more blasted hedges to maintain.

So i used a mix of radish and carrot seeds to outline the corn bed. Radish is especially advantageous, because they sprout in like, a day. Therefore, little people will not inadvertently step in a bed because they will see something is there. :) The carrots i knew we'd have use for, but the radishes...well, i hadn't ever had any luck with them because you have to keep them so moist. This year in the PNW however... Lo! and behold, Cookie the Veggie Hater discovered that she loves radishes. The French way, of course, sliced, on bread with a shmear of butter. My kid's eatin' veg...hallelujah!

black cherry toms

Something on the horizon that is not peachy is the fact that Mother Nature seems to think it is September already. The last few mornings, we've been waking to marine layers that block out the sun until lunchtime and last night they returned by dinner. Ugh! I hope we get some more tomatoes that these this year. Next year, we will have to do something drastic about the tomato growing around here. Either we need a small, portable greenhouse, or only plant early fruiting varieties.

sauce toms

green beans, fall chard, and scallions

Onions are ready to harvest. I may have planted a few too closely this year, so i'll be cooking those up this week for our hamburgers. There are quite a few out there though that are the size of the one in the lower left of the picture. Maybe i can try a braid!!

It sure will be nice to have a bigger place someday to grow all these things. Won't have to feel like i need to squeeze it all in. ;)

Wait!! This Week Wasn't Supposed to be Busy!

2011-08-10T09:28:00.000-07:00

Proving once again that it helps when i "X" out dates on the calendar...
These last two weeks were supposed to be our "at-home" vacation. Nothing to do. No dance classes. No school. No dates. We were going to leisurely pack for vacation, pack up some boxes to get us closer to moving, bake, do crafts, visit with our friends, and have fun.

Well, the realisation that we will have obligations over the next four weeks has hit like a ton of bricks. That means we need to cram in family time, as Cookie and i will be leaving Moose alone for a week. And we needed to visit the zoo before the Scoop on Poop exhibit goes away (gross sounding, i know, but it was very educational!) Loose ends of school need to be tidied up before Cookie leaves for Grands Camp. :) Today, our favourite kindie band is playing downtown, so we have no excuse not to grab Moose from his office and head off for a free concert and picnic in the park.

Ei yi ei!

Thankfully i have the silly Cookie to keep me in good spirits

And tomorrow is free for all the "leisurely packing". Sheesh!

The Letter G

2011-08-10T09:07:00.000-07:00

* gift of gab * - see Blarney Stone; it's a fine line between this and being a gasbag.

* gardener * - i think i've always been one. My parent's used to have a small garden when i was growing up in AZ. We have okra, peppers, and tomatoes. Citrus trees. My mom planted flowers by the gazillions. And dad planted a few pine trees. Once i moved out on my own, i tried my hand a container gardening in my apartments and such. Now i'm branching out into trying to grow year-round.

* geek * - i was a bit geeky before it was cool to be one. :)

* German * - my second language...

* godmother * - to one sweet and cuddly little boy who is a hoot and a half!

* gloomy * - with the steady downward spiral of culture and decency in our area, my gloomy meter is off the charts. It's a bit more than a downer now to see new bikini baristas opening in our area, read of more women panhandling themselves about a mile from neighbourhood (even the university athletes alledgedly get in on the action), and last but not least, i'm sure, the lastest in gang turf wars in our neighbourhood. The handwriting has been on the wall for a long time, i suppose. No one wants these activities in their city, but instead of pushing them out for another city to handle, i wonder why no one is willing to help these individuals?!? And with that realisation, that makes me even more sad.

* gullible * - true confessions: in high school once, friends in class were foaming at the mouth with ideas about things. Somehow, the subject was raised that i was gullible and all eyes were fixed on me for my reaction. Not knowing what that was, i gave a non-chalant "thank you". Unfortunately, that solidified the label, i suppose. :)
What G words describe you?

The Letter F

2011-08-10T08:38:00.000-07:00

* faithful * - once a friend always a friend.

* family * - is very important to me. It's the most important thing in this world.

* freckles * - i am covered with tons of them. Fingers crossed that i don't have to have very many more carved out. :)

* fishwife * - sadly, i am a bit of this once in a while. it's a trait i need to work on.

* farm * - someday, somewhere--hoping one is in my future (sooner than later.)

what words that start with F describe you?

Letter E

2011-08-08T09:20:00.000-07:00

* epicure * - i love finding new foods and new recipes. cooking is so much fun!

* eccentric & eclectic * - sometimes i surprise people with my quirky disposition

* effervescent * - when i am relaxed and refreshed from a vacation or visit with my parents

* Eucharist * - He fulfills me and restores my weary soul

* etiquette * - maybe because in my old age i am becoming a curmudgeon, however i am getting to be a real stickler for etiquette in these last few years...and not this West Coast nonsense that passes for manners. I'm talking good ol' traditional stuff: saying hello when you make eye contact with someone, humility, politeness, aware of your surroundings. And one of my numero uno's: for the love of all that is good and holy, pleeeease wear clothes that cover yourself and your under-thingies!

Letter D

2011-08-08T08:57:00.000-07:00

* daughter * - i have one and i am one.

* desert rat * - i grew up in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona. but i am recovering. :)

* decade * - we've been married a few months over a decade now.

* desparate * - we are going mad around here trying to find a little house in the country to move to. to have some peace and quiet will be balm to our minds and souls. and my kid will be able to play outside on her own without worrying about the neighbour's dog.

* didgeridoo * - not because i play it; simply because it's a fantastic word! :)

Today is Brought to You by the Letter ... C

2011-08-04T12:53:00.000-07:00

Cows, crocodiles, cats & chickens

* chicken keeper * - i love those crazy biddies. They are such fun and rewarding pets.

* cat lover * - i also love felines of any kind. They are so playful. Our current cat is Sandwich. She is a lil' lover of a cat...sleeps all night curled up in the nape of my neck. Unless it is hot. Thank goodness!

* copper * - my favourite colour. My dad also used to be a copper miner, so i have to give props to the industry that helped him provide for his family, eh? :) It's also the colour of my hair.

* curvaceous * - with every passing month, i am becoming more curvaceous, thanks to changes in my eating behaviours.

* Catholic * - i converted to Catholicism ten years ago.

What "C" words describe you??

Today is Brought to You by the Letter.....B

2011-08-03T10:26:00.000-07:00

Borage

Words that describe me that start with B are:

* baker * - over the past year or so, i've really been going gangbuster with the baking skills. I've learned to make puff pastry, a decent pie dough, and numerous other delights in the form of cakes or cookies. Motivation? It helps not only to be a dessert-a-holic, but also on your church's Funeral Ministry when they call you looking for food contributions for the receptions. That way, you can count on baking once every couple weeks, but not have to incur the calories. :)

* belly laugh * - one of my favourite things to share with loved ones in the whole wide world.

* boisterous * - noise, lively, high-spirited...on my good days.

* bibliophile * - a book collector, especially when it comes to old cookbooks.

* Blarney Stone * - my gift of gab came from here...supposedly when i kissed it on our Honeymoon. :)

* Beerleg * - the best "B" word of all is Beerleg. He was a fabled rattlesnake that my dad and i made up one day during conversation years and years ago. We can't really remember why (damn the family forgetfulness trait!!), however we do remember we laughed until we cried over him. I even drew a picture of him. If i can find it while i'm cleaning up around here, i'll update this post with a picture.

What "B" words describe you best??

Alphabet in August

2011-08-02T10:21:00.000-07:00

photo by Susy Morris of Chiot's Run

If you have not dicsovered Chiot's Run, grab your elevenses and have a look-see. You will be awestruck with Susy's breathtaking photography, simplicity, and gardening inspiration.

This month, she is playing a little game called Alphabet in August, where if you care to join along, you will think of words inspired by the letter of the day that describe you and share them with the audience. It's one of those "Get to Know You" sorta deals. And you don't have to have a blog to join--you can visit Susy's posts and leave your contributions in the comments. (Also a good idea to comment there to let her and the rest of us know you are participating in the fun.)

Cookie's Drawing: Alpaca, albatross, and alligator

Today is brought to you by the letter "A". Which could be many things for me--good and bad. :)

* acerbic * - thanks to my medical training and lack of patience most days, i tend to have an acerbic attitude. Especially when trying to get things done by others who don't accomplish the task the same way i would. It's not a trait i'm proud of....

* adept * - not that things come easy to me, but i do like to learn many skills (that most consider hobbies) and become as adept at them as i can. someday i hope to acclaim that i am an adept sock knitter, quilt maker, and seamstress.

* adroit * - clever or skillful. That's me. After my second cup of coffee when i've have a day by myself to think. :)

* affable * - when i am at my best, i am very good natured and friendly. Something that is very easily stifled in this big city of ours.

* American * - something that is becoming more and more uncomfortable for me to admit. However, all current political theatre aside, there is a lot of inspiration to be had from the early Americans and their vision to build this country (the way they envisioned with many diverse ideas co-existing in a big ol' melting pot o' goodness and decency) and the era of the Conservation Corps and FDR. If only we could find more people distracted less with their ridiculously lavish lifestyles, mistresses, corporate interests, and re-election and more in touch with the concepts of how to restore prosperity to our neighbours and regain a sustainable vision for our country.

What words that begin with "A" describe you best?

Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Summer

2011-08-01T08:38:00.000-07:00

Whew!

The last couple weeks have been a whirlwind of activity. All fun stuff though. My parentals brought their friends from Brazil to meet us and see some of the sites of the Seattle-Tacoma area. Three days to see the zoo and the Boeing Museum and shop in Costco and the big American Mall here.

Makes you glad you aren't an international tourist this year, eh? :)

Sharing some pictures of our adventures with you (we'll spare you the mall pictures--hee hee) and then we'll be back to our regularly spontaneous activities around here. :)

Cookie and her new friend

Garden Look-See

2011-07-20T14:40:00.000-07:00

Forgive me if you are a person that is not too keen on bugs.

I was completely enamoured with them in the garden this morning. :)

Ladybug larve

The diversity in the yard is absolutely amazing this year. There were lots of bugs last year, but the co-existance this year is more evident.

Three's Company

This was breakfast a couple mornings ago....homemade granola and fresh strawberries from the yard.

Aside from growing bugs and berries, the rest of the garden is catching up. Cocozelle and nasturtiums are loving the mild temps.

The toms seem to need a little boost, so i am collecting plastic jugs and filling them with water. I place these around the toms to warm up during the day, and at night they keep the toms a little warmer.

Corn's catching up too....thankfully, the crows have stayed away!!

Scallions are coming up...they were too shaded by the chamomile. :)

Our neighbour across the street is a sweet Asian lady...we can't speak much because we don't speak each other's language, but we have had a few friendly encounters. She surprised me in the garden the other day with these two heads of lettuce that her family grew in their yard.

Back to the bugs.

Don't you just love these little guys?

He looks like he's keeping watch over my toms.

They're fine, but i wish he'd erradicate the aphids from my cauliflower!!

I am trying to figure out if these are soldier boys or possibly something like a longhorned beetle.

They don't seem to have the same type of abdomen that they soldier boys do.

"Hey Doll, how ya doin'?"

Who can resist that cute little face, i'd like to know?!?

Contents of My Dream Home

2011-07-15T06:29:00.000-07:00

More dreaming of our homestead-to-be...especially as a piece of property we've been eyeing is getting within our financial reach week by week.

Wouldn't it be lovely to live in a landscape such as this?

And this house....Lawd have mercy!!

Don't you just love an old house built of rock? I have a particular fondness for them because of one that was in the family ages ago. I wonder if you can build these anymore--without having the bankroll of Warren Buffet or Bill Gates?

You'd never know it, but this house is on one of the busiest roads here in on the East Hill of Kent, WA. Years ago it was very peaceful, however now it is surrounded by sub-divisions. Too bad.

While cruising the MLS this week, i found this fabulous looking house in SW Washington. This is my ideal farmhouse, i think. It's layout reminds me of an old church...love those peaks in the roofline and those porches. A proper porch to greet guests...ah!

This house is fabulous for other reasons too!! It's one of the only places i've seen that doesn't have a huge building erected next to it or in front of it that screams "Forget the house, look at the 3-door garage with RV parking!!" Because people with a farm have ~~time~~, er ~~money~~, time for RVing. :)

The only thing i'd want designed differently in this house is a bay window-ish, 3 sided alcove area on the side facing us there by the driveway. Because Moose and i really love this living room:

Living room of a Victorian in Walla Walla

Tuesday's Garden Look-See

2011-07-12T17:51:00.000-07:00

we be jammin

Raspberry season is here! Hooray! Moose has canned one gallon of jam today--the first jammin' of 2011. Take that, Smuckers. :)

one gallon down....1,000,000 to go

Our shasta daisies are a blessing this year. They are huge!! About 3 feet tall. Since they are on the west edge of our garden, they've shaded the lettuces from the hot afternoon sun which has kept them from bolting!! And they have attracted all kinds of lady bugs and other beetle-y creatures.

i think this dude's a soldier beetle

blueberries are blushing

hoping we will have some zucchini for our visitours next week

watermelons are growing v-e-e-e-r-y slowly

peas are ripe for the pickin'

Corn's up--planted it last week

Our onions are growing gangbusters!

Crop-share/birthday toms are ripening

I noticed something unusual in the garden this morning...

something that i don't remember planting.

It's a carrot left over from last year.

It's flowering now...

i think carrot flowers are my new favourite flower.

very reminiscent of hydrangeas, which are starting to bloom here.

Irish dancers are growing in our garden as well. :)

This is Cookie Monster's school dress she's earned by dancing so successfully.

The big weekend is coming up--8 dances and a grade exam for the 2nd grade.

Razzies :: The New Zucchini

2011-07-12T14:06:00.000-07:00

On our way home from a 3 day vacation at the beach, within just a few feet of our home, Leprechaun the stuffed iguana, flung himself out the window and ran down the street. When we arrived in our driveway, we found out what was so important to risk the bodily harm that is entailed in one's flinging oneself out of a moving vehicle. :)

According to our estimates, a whole mess of razzies were to be due the day before we returned home. Moose feared that Leprechaun would suck all the sweet juicy jewels from the vines if he didn't react quickly.

So he ran inside and snagged a quart bowl from the cabinet and started plucking. "One for the bowl, two for me...."

And in 15 minutes, he had collected enough for his first batch of raspberry preserves of the 2011 season. Good thing he's off work this week! :)

For those of you dealing with ridiculous amounts of heat this week...this one's for you

courtesy of Western WA Beaches

New Endeavour...

2011-07-07T17:27:00.000-07:00

So, while i am still trying to talk myself out of picking apart Cookie Monster's chicken quilt to add more fabrics to it (blasted perfectionistic tendancies!!), i started another project....

Inspired by the calico pattern from the Farmer's Wife quilting book.

so far, this is my favourite block

and this is my second favourite

We'll see what it becomes. After getting the sewing room all cleaning out without a curse word, a handful of anti-psychotics, or loads of alcohol, i am indulging my inner craft geek in some serious sewing therapy. Yea, me! :)

Tuesday's Look-See in the Garden

2011-07-05T19:42:00.000-07:00

After an explosive night around the ol' homestead here...

i found a different kind of bouquet to from around the yard.

No wonder the Valley looked so polluted the day after the Fourth.

Something that i don't even want to think about is all that firework "seasoning" that is now covering the fruits of our labour out in the garden. Ewwww!

It was a quiet morning though, which lead to me meeting a few new friends out in the yard.

This cat recently moved into the neighbourhood.

He scares me because he looks just like our cat...

who isn't allowed outside. :)

Sweet ol' Puss

The towees were out...their red eyes mesmerising.

Sir Robin visited me as well...he was a very sweet chap--he walked right up to me and asked if i cared to share a spot of worm with him for a cup of earl grey.

A hummingbird found me admiring the Jupiter's Beard.
He apparently wanted to fight for it. :)

The garden is decorated in it's red, white, and blues.

currants are ripe for the taking

First tomatoes...which have a funny story behind them.

Last month for my birthday, our wonderful neighbour brought by a gift for me--this tomato plant in a cute little trellised pot. She shared what a deal she got on it at the local nursery, that she knows that i talk to my plants and coax them into delivering on their fruity promises, and that she thought it would be a perfect birthday gift. Wasn't that sweet and thoughtie? Then she pops the trunk on her car, shows me all the other plants she purchased to spruce up her front walk. And in the course of conversation, this sweet 80 year old woman wishes me a happy birthday again and thanks me for raising this tomato for her--referring to it as our share-cropping endeavour. :)

It's getting close to raspberry picking time! Hurrah!

These hollyhocks will be white soon...

Fancy Knickers carnations are bloomin'

Here is an Indian Plum, one of the native species we encourage on our property

We leave the fruits for the birds, however in a couple years when we are studying Native Americans more, i am looking forward to diving into information on their uses of them. Ink? Food?

After the razzies, it'll be these guys' turn

Overall, the gardens looking real nice. We dug the grass out of the area we enlarged last year. I planted a cold climate variety of corn this past weekend--we'll see how we do?!? Up here near the Sound, we get just enough of a breeze to be about a few degrees cooler than the Valley. I've decided that short season crops might be the key to getting any of those hot weather items like pumpkins, melons, or corn.

Moose has been working really hard on the curb appeal of the place...lots of weed whacking and hedge trimming.

On the to-do's this week is razzie picking and planting more bush beans.

And enjoying a bit of our hard work.

How does your garden grow??

Fourth of July From Our Deck

2011-07-05T16:44:00.001-07:00

Tuesday's Look-See in the Garden

2011-06-28T09:41:00.000-07:00

Hello! How does your garden grow today? Hoping the second "official week" of summer has been kind to you. We had one day of summer so far this summer...June 21st. Everyone i've had the pleasure of chatting with this past week has said the same thing--"Did you enjoy your summer?" :)

Like Mom said this morning, we haven't had a day near 80 degrees here in the Pacific NW in 296 days! grrrrr!

With regards to a garden teaming with produce...one just has to wait and hope.

This week's big show stealer is the peony.

Planted these babies three years ago, and they've rewarded me with their first blooms.

They are going to need to be moved though, come fall. I thought these gals were goners, so we planted Moose's plum tree in the same spot. Doh!

Raspberry harvest and jamming looks to be about 2 - 3 weeks away.

Razzies with the Glenora grape in the background

Which is just about the time my folks arrive with their friends from Brasil.

Is it okay to tell international guests that we should skip the Space Needle in favour of the fine art of manual labour that is canning? :)

Com'un babies!

The birds will be feasting soon on currants.

One of the projects from the weekend...

the chickens helped with this one.

I parked the tractor over the squash patch a couple weeks ago to let the biddies do the heavy lifting of grasses and dandelions, waited for their droppings to age a little and this weekend i plucked the rest of the bind weed and dandies. I cleaned up the edges of the lawn and planted our sugar pumpkins, watermelon, zucchini and yellow squash out there. I also planted a few pea and radish seeds to make use of the pathways i left. They'll be long gone by the time the first summer squash come on.

the toms and potatoes are really doing well

first potato flowers

first roma toms!!

first peas

I can't wait to try a little borage fertilizer this year that i've been reading about.

self seeding borage

Out of the cauliflower i planted, i have 10 plants left.

The others succombed to root maggots.

In other gardens around the yard....

Cookie Monster's garden is sprouting runner beans and sunflowers.

little seedlings from the packet of "Songbird Mix"
by Botanical Gardens that Cookie sowed.

In the East Garden, all the new planting went in on Sunday.

In this area, under all the buttercups and couch grass i found a strawberry and a primrose which i combined with the sage and lingonberry--sets a nice scene with the Kent climbing rose and the Royal lavender.

my new favourite garden spot

In the area of the dead rose tree, are the hollyhocks, a sage, and lemon balm.

Lucky me :: also found an oxyalis while weeding out

The transplants near the Pope John Paul II rose seem to

be taking off too!

the constant gardener

As you can see we've been quite busy around here, and there is plenty more to do.

However, right now, the pirate Cookie Monster arrrgh is summoning me with a piece of a treasure map. I think it's time walk the plank....or maybe she'll make me Irish dance the plank--hop back 2,3 hop back 2,3 ...kerploosh!!

Have a great week everyone!

Get dirty!

This Week's Project :: East Garden

2011-06-24T16:36:00.000-07:00

Before i've mentioned about the front door of our house being physically on the side of our house. It's peculiar, but we work with it. There is a garden just beyond the stairs leading up to the front door. It's known as our "rose garden"--especially because it is small, they work well there because we can't collect too many of them. Roses are beautiful however when you are trying to focus on growing food, they really are useless, eh? This garden is viewed upon entry numerous times a day. As an extra added bonus, when one here is crafting or folding laundry (in that order of importance, of course) the windows in these two rooms provide an upclose view of this ~~garden~~ weed hole as well.

So you can imagine that when it looks like this:

"Curse you, you bloody buttercups! And the unfinished compost you rode in on!"

and this:

"Same goes for you, you bothersome vetch!"

it really bugs the head gardeners here. Especially because this little rose tree was given to Mrs. Head Gardener by Mr. Head Gardener for her 30th birthday (which was a short 6 years ago) and now appears dead. Grrr.

This morning, i congratulated myself on losing another two pounds (for a total of 4 this month so far) by visiting the garden shop near my morning meeting. If i had my druthers, i would have purchased a columnar apple to replace this rose, however, since we aren't staying here (we hope!) i decided to use what i had budgeted for more than just one new transplant. :)

The Haul

The area of this garden also happens to be our only patch of lawn not visable to all the neighbours, so we like to lounge out here every once in a while. Over the years, i've planted areas up with mosquito repelents like lemon balm, sages, and rosemary. I continued that theme today, picking up more of the same. I also threw in a couple of tarragon plants, hollyhocks, allysums, and lingonberries.

I have only had a chance to tend to this little area under our Pope John Paul II rose bush today.

I planted the tarragons, pineapple sage, and some chive seeds in this area.

I was going to plant this sage here too...

however i think the lingonberry looks much better here.

In the area where the rose tree was, in will go black hollyhocks, a purple sage, a lemon balm, and some of the allysums. Some cherry coloured nasturtiums seeds may make their way into the area as well as some borage too, me thinks. Another lingonberry and lemon balm will be planted just to the left of the hollyhocks. With the lavendar "bookending" the hollyhocks, i think this will be a great new twist on this garden.

Tuesday, er make that Wednesday = Garden Tour

2011-06-15T23:25:00.000-07:00

This week's photo tour was brought to you by Wednesday, as Tuesday was being kinda persnickety with its rain and gloomy clouds and short five second bursts of sunshine with a side of chilly wind. Do us Washingtonians think summer is coming...meh. I think it will occur for a couple days, maybe in August. At this point, i'm ready to move to Inuvik. At least they've converted one of their old indoor ice rinks into a year-round community garden. :) Who would have thought that the natives of Inuvik would have better gardening opportunities in the NW Territories than us jamokes down here in the Pac NW.

Anywho...on with developments.

Besides growing a broody ol' bat in the Back 4/10ths...

Yeah, i'm talking about you, you crazy ol' Merangue!

Our Shasta daisies have returned under the Doug Firs.

They look so pretty--a nice surprise when we look out our bedroom window.

Out in the garden, the cauliflower is growing gangbusters with the addition of the Reemay.

On a related note: Moose's thumb isn't quite as bum anymore--

the feeling has returned to it, and the gash is healing nicely. Thank goodness!

And an experiment with coffee grounds spread in a ring around the bases has yielded 6 of the 18 plants without slug damage. Like our favourite kindie-rocker Ralph Covert says, "M-O-M-M-Y needs C-O-F-F-E-E." In more ways than one. :)

The potatoes are doing well. Must be this great spring-like weather. Oy vey!

The berries are all truckin' right along...

the only two fruits on our pink blueberry bush we planted this year

red currants

The best in berry news is that our boysenberries we planted last year are flowering! Hooray for boysenberries! Three cheers for homemade syrup!

Only items left to plant now are the squashes and melons...

we're giving them a little time to beef up in the pots before we subject them to our garden that is

the slug buffet. Need. More. Coffee. and beer?

Our poppies are almost done flowering. These pink ones are my favourite. When we move, i am going to have a whole bed of these beauties. Somewhere.....don't you think they would look fabulous adorning the grey weathered cedar picket fence around an orchard?!?

The biggest news here is the progress made in Cookie Monster's garden bed.

It's made from the frame that was to be for the Reemay and some of the old bags of soil we used to enlarge the garden last year. This is the first year she's been gung-ho about gardening. However, she remembers that we've told her a little story about her Great Grandma wanting her to learn how to garden...and we tell her that she comes back as a butterfly each year to make sure Cookie is digging in the dirt. She told me the other day that she thinks Great Grandma will be very happy with her garden this year. :)

Today she planted Royal Scarlet Sweet Peas (in honour of Prince William and Princess Catherine) and Scarlet Runner Beans. She's getting very adept at judging planting depths with her thumb and fingers.

Yesterday we planted all the nursery starts she picked up.

She was so excited to get a geranium (she's a sucker for the coral colours) and she planted her primroses and some "blue puffs" as she calls them. She was elated to find petunia named after Picasso too, since we had studied the artist and visited his personal art collection at the SAM this year.

Today we also poured over the seed packets she picked out, deciphering which plants would grow best where in her garden. I used a piece of freezer paper and drew a mock up of her garden on it. She spent time this morning labelling everything that had been planted already and planning where she would seed the wildflowers that grow 18 inches high versus the Bell of Ireland that grow 3 feet high versus the sunflower seeds she's planted in the back of the garden.

She's named it "The All Thing Bright and Beautiful Garden".

I can't wait to see what this bed looks like come July.

Should summer decide to grace us with its presence, eh? :)

Gettin' Crafty

2011-06-13T09:43:00.000-07:00

The sewing bug has bitten here lately. Partly because of the desire to learn, but fodder for sewing comes from the unfortunate styles being marketed to the grade schooler set. Really? I'm supposed to dress my 8 year old lass in shorts that would make Daisy Duke blush, with the added bonus of the marketing message of the designer accented with a mess of rhinestones on the rear? Huh? It leaves me wondering if people who purchase these types of clothes for their daughter to wear have even a second thought about its inappropriateness. It seems anymore that babies leave the womb and immediately adorned with clothing fit for a cutting edge runway event.

Anyway, where were we before i detoured to the soap box?

Joann's had some adorable fabric the last time i ventured out. It was beckoning to be made into a pair of pants for a little girl.

*Momma Not Responsible For Western Shirt/Floral Pant Combo

This illustrates my point, exactly though in that children need that freedom of expression--more like freedom from the masses and inappropriate attention these days.

Drawstring made and used instead of the recommended elastic

I used Simplicity 5489, which also has a pattern for a jumper and a skirt, the latter i made using some polar bear material from The Stash.

The only difference between the pattern and the result on the skirt is that i used a French seaming technique so the seams between the body of the skirt and the cuff would be finished and not fray. Cookie Monster is a stickler for smooth clothing that doesn't tickle. :)

I can't believe these actually turned out! When the ladies at the fabric counter ask what your intent is for the fabric, i always joke that it will be clothing for my daughter...or really cute reusable napkins. :) Thankfully these worked out and didn't need to be repurposed. She begs to wear these almost everyday--i'm delighted that they are loved and used. Hoping with the dresses that Achoo made her last year and these items (one in the wings where i try to use the pant pattern to make shorts out of a green gingham) will hopefully get us through the summer...or two if we are lucky! Now, comes the task of finding plain shirts that don't advertise "Daddy's Little Angel" or the like. Hopefully it doesn't come down to making shirts...more likely we'd invest in a bunch of Western shirts before we did that! :)

Maybe for the winter, i will try my hand at cordory for a skirt and pants.

Sunday Stills: Yellow

2011-06-12T09:50:00.000-07:00

To see more Yellow inspiration, head on over to Sunday Stills.

A Wedding Sampler Worthy of My Wall

2011-06-07T10:38:00.000-07:00

Most mornings, i spend my 15 minutes of peace reading this quirky and awe-inspiring blog called Feeling Stitchy. There are some amazingly talented embroidery artists there...using their talents for good instead of evil. :)

A new feature at FS is Thee Stitch-a-long. Each month, a pattern is featured and the contestants are given four weeks to complete and submit an entry.

May's Stitch-a-long featured a pattern by artist Cate Anevski entitled PBnJ. The instance i saw it, i knew i had found my wedding sampler.

A sweet and simple, whimsical tribute to the day Moose and i became "Moose and Mrs. Moosey".

Made more jovial with the addition of our corny puns, for which we are well known for. :)

Just incase you aren't familiar with the term, "dang skippy" (of slang origin; polished up a bit because, well, we are family friendly here) is synonymous with other sayings such as "you betcha", "right-o", and "yes-siree bob", however emphasised with a bit more ummph and pizazz like a "heck yeah!" :)

I can't wait to get this baby framed and tacked up on a wall.

Me First. No Me First.

2011-06-05T19:57:00.000-07:00

We've been encouraging tip top behaviour around the birdhouse the last few weeks and Cookie Monster's been witnessing some of the coolest happenings in our yard, right off our deck.

Could school get any better than this??

I grabbed my camera tonight, with the little light we had left and the zoom maxed out, and captured some of these videos and pictures of the neighbirds. The humming/roaring sound you hear is the traffic on The 5. Hoping you can hear the babies over that ruckus.

Aren't they sweet??

Thanks to Ed over at Sunday Stills for his perfectly timed "Potluck" theme so i can share this with all the awesome photographers there too. Go check 'em out. I can hardly wait to see what inspired people this week!

Tuesday = Garden Tour

2011-05-31T09:44:00.000-07:00

Here at the ol' suburban homestead, we're seeing tulips

Don't you just love the fuzzy-headed alpine tulips when they've gone to seed??

and fruit tree blossoms give way to

the first poppies of the season.

This, seriously, has to be my favourite part of the yard right now.

The German chamomile is blossoming...

I can almost taste our first cups of fresh tea from these little guys.

The berries are finally starting to flower in full force.

Thankfully the razzie's now resemble a beehive

Saw a few bees on the blueberries this weekend

Moose's mouth is watering just counting all these potential strawberries

Dainty little alpine strawberries--you're so sweet.

The spuds are emerging from their fox holes,

Same goes for the weeds in the peas and the onions...grr!

And here's the pictures of the stinky ol' *big idea* of mine that landed Moose with a bum thumb. (Sorry again, my Moose!!)

Also, there's new developments in the new neighbird's bungalow. Mommy and Daddy Sparrow are busy caring for a little nest full of birds that i am too afraid to try to get a picture of. They aren't in the easiest of spots, nor eager for their moment in the spotlight such as Mrs. Oodles adorable nest of birds. Our WA sparrows must be recluses compared to those sweet little cousins of theirs in back east. :) Mr. and Mrs. Sparrow have been very tolerant of our comings and goings when needing to tend to the chickens, and i don't want to push our luck. Like the Grosbeaks have been doing. Ei yi ei! Poor little daddy bird has been having to defend his babes from the wild pack of Grosbeaks morning, noon, and noony night it seems. Which lead to the redeployment of an old feeder out in our paperbark maple. Which coincidentally the gold finches seem to prefer as well!

It's been great sharing the miracles of Spring with Cookie Monster this year. She seems to have a little more interest in playing in dirt, watching birds, helping weed the garden, and finding worms--granted, she needs her garden gloves for that last one! We sat out on the deck numerous times in the last week listening to the cacophony of peeps, screeches, and general chatter of our fine feathered friends. All the while, Cookie cheers on Daddy and Mommy Sparrow: "Keep up the good work, Daddy Sparrow." "Mommy Sparrow, you're such a good mommy. I bet your babies love you lots." (and when the birds fly away) "Where you goin'? Don't leave you're babies too long, Momma."

I will try to get a video, even just for the sound, of the babies.

As soon as i charge up those pesky camera batteries. :)

The Day In Which I Felt Like a Rockstar and Then Unfelt Like One

2011-05-30T19:37:00.000-07:00

Sheesh. Just when you think life is trending upward...

I was feeling like such a rockstar today.

We walked through the garden center this morning, and i didn't buy one thing (even though the poppies were begging me to take them home before they parished at the hands of the new summer help at the local one stop shop.)

I developed a funky idea for my entry into the stitch-a-long this month.

I think i kicked the sickness that has been threatening to take me down.

I read the entire new Maeve Binchy book in one day.

I experimented cooking a whole chicken on the barbie today, and i think it worked wonderfully.

We knocked out the yard work in one and a half days--a new record, undoubtedly.

And we came up with a new idea for a covered garden bed using materials we had on hand.

That's where it all went wrong.

We had these left over posts from fencing off the garden from the chickens last year. The were just about the right height to pound in and throw Reemay over. Pausing for a moment, i was considering just how much i spent for this stuff and thought it might be nice to get a few years out of it. :) All the wind battering it against the ragged post edges may mean it wouldn't last a season. So we thought tennis balls might help cushion the blow. We were slashing tennis balls with a box cutter and yeeow! Moose sliced the tip of his thumb open. It's still bleeding, but we are hoping a trip to the ER isn't needed. He's keeping it elevated and his nurse-aunt was kind enough to come up to take a look at it--her diagnosis is that she thinks he'll live.

I feel just awful though...

Me and my *big* no good ideas!

1st Communion :: A Compliation of Talents

2011-05-22T19:23:00.000-07:00

Today was the big day!

Cookie Monster received First Communion.

Fr. Uncle P., our little walking tabernacle, and Deacon George

Our bestest friends were there to support us....

and so was our family (minus a few in-laws--we missed you!)

Thanks to Achoo for sewing such an adorable dress (and a matching one for the American Girl too!)

Don't worry, Mom, i'll get pictures of them both together later in the week.

Tuesday = Garden Tour

2011-05-17T06:24:00.000-07:00

It~~'s been~~ continues to be a long winter...

but atleast things are blooming enough to usher in the return of a central part of this blog....

Tuesday Garden Tours!

Hooray!

It's exciting out there this year, however along with the good is a very concerning issue.

We've been so cold, we've seen absolute zippo bees out in the yard. Well, except for one day a couple weeks ago we saw one.

Last year at this time, the raspberries were a virtual beehive!

On to the good news...

i planted this peony 3 years ago, and it is growing its first flower bud.

The poppies are readying to flower!

As are the chamomile. Hi little ladybug!

Just to the left here are the Cheiftain taters. Below is the cole family bed.

And more tater trenches. They bracket the garden.

The spinach is coming along nicely.

All the blueberry bushes are flowering...however without any bees. :(

Dear Dad,

2011-05-16T10:08:00.000-07:00

Good morning. I have an unfortunate question to ask regarding Nonnie's "Doo Dads".

While making these, i was inspired to try to get a little of the caramelization that occurs when you bake palmiers. So i cranked the broil to high and hoped for the best.

Literally, i turned around for a few seconds to clean up the flour mess, and Hark!

I burned the "Doo Dads".

*groan*

So my question is: is this what you'd call a "Doo Don't"? :)

Love,

Your Daughter Who Obviously Shouldn't Tinker With Nonnie's Recipes

P.S. Cookie Monster's taken a liking to renaming the "Doo Dads" to "Doo Dahs".

Today We Planted

2011-05-16T04:12:00.000-07:00

Here in the Pacific Northwest, we are about to set a record or two. Of course, they aren't distinctions that anyone ever really wants. Just ask the farmers effected by the *historic* flooding on the Mississippi. However, compared to that, our problems seem petty and ridiculous. But problems we do have. A MASSIVE pocket of cold air is parked below AK, and it is affecting our weather patterns so that, 1. we will set a record for how long it's taken this season to reach high's of 70 degrees, and 2, we received almost all of our May rain totals in just one storm today. Hooray?!?

So, i'm thinking a wise woman would plant another bed of snap peas and lettuce, and sit back and enjoy the rest of the gardening season, eh? Alas, i'm a gambling girl, so i purchased 4 tom plants this weekend. And as a little side note regarding that--for the love of Pete, if you are a Western WA gardener, please be advised you have no business putting those tomato plants out in your garden until mid-June, unless you erect a heated greenhouse over them!! They simply cannot stand temps below 50 degrees...and if you make them, they throw a fit like a teenager who's just been asked to go with their parents to a drive-in movie. Seriously, i think if you look close enough, you could see their little tomato eyeballs rolling back inside their heads!! I've heard some people say that they've planted their 2nd round of tomato plants already this year. Ei yi ei--what a waste! They'll be planting a 3rd or 4th by the time our climate can sustain a tom, that's for sure.

Yesterday, Moose and i braved the showers (as his uncle put it, it was raining so hard here today, a person could have drown while walking outside) and planted up some of our beds.

24 Early Snoball cauliflower

4 Calabrese broccoli (these starts were so leggy, i decided it'd be better to feed the lot of them to the chickens--at least they'll produce eggs.) :)

2 Red Russian kale

3 lbs Yellow Finn potatoes
2 lbs Red Cheiftain potatoes

& 2 volunteer chive plants.

Left to put in the ground this week are 8 Copenhagen cabbage and 3 Rainier strawberry plants. And chard, radish, and lettuce seed.

And we'll be babying our tom plants indoors with some new pots (you can re-pot them now if they are getting to tall--builds extra roots) and we'll be giving them "tanning treatments" with our desktop fluoresent lamp.

How does your garden grow? Hoping it's sunny somewhere!!

Sunday Stills :: High and Low

2011-05-15T20:01:00.000-07:00

If you look on the ground this time of year in Western WA, you see oodles of

forget-me-nots and mosses. The ferns are also unfurling.

The temps have been so unseasonably cool that the fruit trees are flowering later.

And the only day of blue sky we had this week provided a great shot of the spotty clouds below the towering raspberry canes.

Thank Goodness Spring didn't for get us.

Now, let's hope Summer's right behind her.

To see some awesome and creative photography, check out Sunday Stills.

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T11:44:00.000-07:00

We have new neighbours in the yard.

They look like they may be newlyweds, however i can't confirm that.

They've been so busy building a nest, they haven't really had time to stop by

for coffee cake and a chat.

Not only do they make a cute couple, but they are a good team too. They'd race off at the same time and in about 2 minutes time, they'd meet back at their new casita with provisions to swankify their new pad. Patiently they'd wait for each other to enter and exit.

I have a sneaking suspicion that this little lady is going to enter into the world of motherhood soon.

Hoping mothers reading this today have a joyous day, and not just today!

Droids, Wookies, and At-Ats. Oh My!

2011-05-06T22:20:00.000-07:00

We had an exciting day today. We visited the Star Wars exhibit in Seattle for a field trip.

(Isn't homeschooling great?)

As a bonus, we got to meet Luke's Father.

The Force is strong with these two.

Cookie Monster hasn't seen the movies yet, so this was a perfect event in that nothing was too menacing; just interesting fashions and characters. Her favourites being Yoda and R2-D2. Opportunities to learn about maglev capabilities and robots.

It was a surprisingly good time.

A Little Redecorating

2011-05-05T06:50:00.000-07:00

While we are languishing for the home of our dreams, i've come to discover that i can't stand blank walls anymore!

So last month, i started tackling projects that i'd like to do...that would also be needed at the next residence.

One of the more important projects also coincided with something i had been meaning to do for Cookie for homeschooling--develop and frame pictures of her immediate family; Cookie calls it "family tree style".

And we have the perfect place for it in our current hallway between the kitchen and the bedrooms.

We are in the middle.

Next to Moose are Cookie's grandparents. The top is his parent's wedding day in 1966 (with his granddad in the background.) Moose's dad past away about 20 years ago, so we have another picture of Moose's mom and her current hubbie of 14 years. Every since Cookie was a tot, we've told her she's very lucky to have 5 grandparents--she caught on right away, knowing that Grandpa Moose was up in Heaven looking out for her.

Next to me, is what Cookie and i call the World's Coolest Wedding Picture. :) This is my parent's wedding picture from 1969.

Next to Moose's parents are his grandparents.
On the left are his dad's parents, and the right his mom's.

Then there's my family. My mom's parents on top and ....

a picture of 4 generations of my dad's family: my dad as a kid, his poppa and great grandmother and mom. Cookie enjoyed figuring out that the woman in the middle of the picture was her great-great-great grandma.

Now, since Cookie is starting her correspondance with her grandparents, to learn all about how they grew up (i am hoping it is a project that not only helps her get to know her grandparents better, but also so she is comfortable enough with them to ask them about their experiences in life or thoughts on subjects that we start learning out in modern history in a couple years.) Now, too, when some replies with a story about their parents or ... she'll be able to look and see who that person is.

We have a little extra room, so we're thinking we will add on more.

Especially after we complete this history curricullum, then i think we will move on to genealogy for our "history". Moose's family is pretty new to America compared to mine, so we'll be learning all different types of history of countries and such in a short amount of time.