Monday musings, restart

A while back, okay years ago, Nadja at Patch o' Dirt farms started Monday morning musings. It was a great way to focus your week and helped me to settle on plans and intentions in my work. She does appear to be posting now but I want to bring this back. Feel free to join me.

Right Now... I am sitting in my kitchen, cup of coffee at hand. The house is quiet as the kids are at school and my husband is on a business trip. He'll be back on Friday, Butterfly started crying she was missing him within about an hour of his leaving this morning. I wanted to join her in tears, but that would not do. With him working from home most of the time and me taking care of the kids and house and my business we are together - in the same space at least - most of the time. I like it and am spoiled. At the same time him being gone has allowed me to open the house up to the lovely weather and turn off all -nearly- the lights in the house. I can hear the birds and the wind. I think a wood pecker has moved into the neighborhood. As long as he stays out of my fruit trees he is welcome!

This Weekend... We mostly hung out with Jim knowing he was leaving. I had Spinning Guild on Friday and Mom is a member so I went down and got her, we had a nice day together at the meeting then did a bit of shopping and picked up dinner. I took her home and we ate takeaway Vietnamese and watched a movie with Dad. Beaver worked both days, he has a job at the local grocery store and just got his first promotion from bagger to clerk. He is doing well. We played board games, played outside, and cuddled. A little laundry got folded and put away. Dishes were done, meals were made. I got the hand-wash laundry out of the way and finally finished working on the spinning I was doing. I have decided to make the yarn into a hat to sell rather than sell the yarn. I really don't like anything other than the color. It will make a good waterproof cap but when selling yarn mostly everyone wants soft and nothing will make this soft. Mouse helped me mulch in the flower bed by the house door, boy did I not buy enough! I want to mulch all the beds near the house and thought it would go further. It looks nice though.

Some plans for the week... Buy more mulch. Plant the gladiolus bulbs in the under the window bed. Get the garden ready for planting - I feel like I am late but it only stopped snowing last week. Organize and post the stuff I have ready to sell at market this season - I'll be at the Harbor Market and the Westosha Market in Kenosha, WI. Skirt and wash as much wool as I can. Finish quilt for Cousin. Finish shower present for Ginny. Return books to the library, find at least one new author. Spend Tuesday with friend and her daughter.

If I find sometime for myself, I would like to... Start knitting rainbow grey yarn into tote bag to felt.

I am grateful for... My husband, and his work allowing him to be home with us most of the time. My kids who know mornings are not my favorite time and got up early without complaints and gave me extra cuddles.

Some prayerful intentions this week... Hold Seal in my heart, he is doing great but we just got to see his x-rays. Doctor is very pleased but given the size of his fracture he won't be out of the woods for six months.
Hold My sister in my heart she has a job interview this week and is waiting to hear on a earlier interview. Both jobs would be closer to us! Back in the Midwest is the goal - I can't help wanting the closer one, it would put them about two hours away - though whichever job will be better for her family in the long run is what I want for her.

One of the ladies at the guild meeting asked us all to make baby shroud wraps. Her friend is a Chaplin at the state's children's hospital and she needs these tiny little knitted wraps for preemie babies to be buried in. She says she gets lots of hats and quilts but never has enough people willing to make these shrouds. I have agreed to make up a few. Mom lost my elder sister and several babies between me and my sister, so I will hold the mommas and daddys who don't want to receive this knitting in my heart, hoping they get dust rather than use, but if they must be used maybe the hand-knit holding their baby will help them.

Some things that make me smile... My girls hauling fallen branches to a corner of the yard to make a fort. Despite having two house structures they never much use. Mouse thinking cuddling me would get him out of his chores. Open windows and made beds - I should go make my bed.

~Julia

Selling, new blog, surprise.

After a long time of talking about, dreaming about, and thinking about selling my crafts, I have decided to go for it.  I set up an Etsy site and am doing all the necessary forms and such to be all ready to sell.  I am planning on participating in a local farmer's market's craft weekends. It is once a month along with the market so I thought it was a gentle way to dive into craft fair selling and hope it will be a good fit for my family. To show what I am doing I created a new blog for the Business (that sounds so big!) it is MoonBound ArtisanShip

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Sometimes ideas run away with me.  I decided that while my husband was off on a business trip I would empty, clean, carpet shampoo, and paint our bedroom - as a surprise! So I had a week to get everything done, this was the only room we did not paint when we bought the house, typically taking care of ourselves last thinking there.  I got my Mother and friend and co-conspirator R over to help. Mom watched the kids, folded mountains of laundry and also did some canning while R and I attacked the bedroom.  I did not clean it before my husband left - no surprise there - so we just grabbed stuff and threw it about the house. Like many people I know our bedroom had become a place where I would hide stuff I did not want to deal with while cleaning other rooms! Hopefully, I am done with that.
R got her Husband to come over after work and help move the furniture either out or to the center of the room.  We all had a nice dinner together and I discovered exactly how bad of a job my vacuum had been doing! The pictures about are us (R is working the camera and we are both laughing manically) at about 1am mixing the greenish paint I bought for this when we bought the house 5 years ago and all the leftover whites and creams we could find.  I did not want to spend more than $30 on the whole project to be an extra super part of the surprise, unfortunately I misremembered the name of the paint color when I went to get a second gallon and the color they gave me was bright deep teal. Not a good surprise. So sticking to the budget (which was wasted on buying that awful color) we mixed something up.
We got the room done and put back together and I managed to clean the house within an inch of it's or maybe my life before my hubby got home. Surprise accomplished. Surprise out of hand - Oh Yeah!

Hairpin Lace afghan I am making for my Grandpa out of yarn I received from my Grandma's stash. I have five done and think I will need thirteen or so.

I am still knitting, crocheting, spinning, and sewing up a storm here, but have found out that on days I do a lot of listings or book work type stuff the crafts come a bit harder. So I am trying to get all the necessary paper stuff out of the way before lunch and then playing after.

The kids need more time outside and I am longing for spring.

Chasing my dreams and hoping you chase yours ~ Julia

a fun night with the boys.

This is a little arched back compared to how much he bent sometimes.

This month's 4H meeting was a trip to a local hunting supply store/archery range.  All the kids got to shoot and have a fun social time for an hour. Beaver has had lesson a few years ago so he did fine, Mouse was kind of funny as he danced around and arched his back way back to pull the string.  The both enjoyed themselves. 

I also wanted to talk about a program I watched on tv this weekend.  The Big Waste.  It featured four tv chefs challenged to make a fancy dinner for 100 people out of nothing but food that would go to waste - garbage and unsellable products.  They talked to a bunch of vendors  - stores, butchering facilities, bakeries, fish market, farmer's market, pick your own produce facilities etc.  The amount of food, good perfect food, that was wasted was shocking.  You could tell they were shocked too.  A farmer at a pick own farm talked about people, cutting a plant then seeing a better one and just dropping the first, one of his corn fields had wind damage from the hurricane it was bent but continued to grow, no one coming to the farm would pick it assuming something was wrong with it, they picked bushels and it was all fine.  A butcher gave them 60 chickens, they showed the facilities, the chickens were all healthy looking and only one or two to a cage, the place was really clean, the de-feathering machine apparently breaks the skin or a wing sometimes and then they can not get the bird to sell.  The one chef talked about thinking about her own standards for food and how ridiculous they were and the impact they must be having.  They of course produced a lovely meal and the dinners - mostly food critics and chefs agreed that the food was certainly not garbage. 

I have often thought about how canning recipes talk about preserving only perfect fruit.  I disbelieve my ancestors only stored perfect food, I disbelieve that my grandparents did.  My grandpa grew up in the depression in Chicago.  He tells a story of the first day in the air force (he joined at 14) being in the mess hall and seeing all the food they put on his plate and a whole pint of milk to drink, he asked a sgt who he was supposed to be sharing with.  The Sgt told him that it was all for him and if he wanted more milk to be sure to get more.  Grandpa describes it as going to heaven.  We waste so much.  I want to work on the amount of food I waste and appreciate the food we have more.   I think about how fussy my kids are about food, and how wasteful, and how my grandfather would get upset if he offered someone ice cream and they asked what kind.  It was a treat, you wanted some or not you didn't get to pick.  I want to plan out my garden to make the best and most realistic use of my land and talents.  It also means planting things I know they like. Maybe this is stash busting in my brain. 

A new day.

Friday: Butterfly got to see her grandparents and get her birthday presents from them.  They had been sick (and still were not feeling great) so they missed her party.  She had a wonderful time, normally when she goes some where the division of kids means she is either with mouse (middle two) or with Badger (girls together) well as Nathaniel goes to dinner with his dad on Friday evening she got to go with him and it was different and odd for her.  I also took the car, better mileage, which she very rarely rides in so that was fun for her too.  Grandpa surprised her with an ice cream cake.

Saturday: We went to the farmer's market, despite the cold wind it was a good day!  Huge beets from a very pregnant woman, tiny thai peppers, cayennes, shallots (I am plant half the bag and hoping)  pie pumpkins, soap (that is helping with my skin) kettle corn, cookies, coffee and cocoa.  We saw neat clockwork looking spiders, goat cheese in 2# block that I want but can't go through enough so I am hoping to find someone to go in with me, the river looked so wild and fast alongside the market.  Definitely have to go one more time before they close for the season.  

Then a friend and her soon to be husband stopped by and we ended up chatting about garden and plans.  They are getting married in May and the florist wants $20 a bunch for lily of the valley!  They are going to come up and pick my yard instead, hopefully the maiden's veil bushes will be in bloom in time so they can snag some of that too.  We ended up finding hidden treasures in the kids garden.  Mouse had beans hanging that we have collected for seed, Badger had tiny carrots, and Butterfly had a few cherry tomatoes.  They only could stay an hour or so but it was nice.

Then Beaver and I hopped in the car and drove to the Military Miniature Society of Illinois Show where his team competed, as adults.  The oldest is 17!  All of them did well.  Beaver's piece got a letter of merit in the general class showing he needs to work to compete but that he has the talent and is competing at the right level.  I think he was a little disappointed, I was proud.  He did get very inspired, and ended up talking to one vendor who gave him two flats to try painting.  They are revolutionary war soldiers and he will have to learn about the proper uniforms and how to paint a flat.  The team went out to dinner at a nice restaurant after.  The leader wants the kids to experience different things and grow not just as a painter but as a person.  I had the best mussels I have ever eaten, Beaver had a Caesar salad.

Sunday: We got up in time for church, have not been in a while, but since Butterfly had asked if Church was in season, I figured we ought to go.  Changes!  Beaver's class in Sunday school is gone in favor of a multiple parish youth group that meets at a different time, so he is going to help out in the younger kids class.  Butterfly is old enough to start.  She was very nervous at first, but Beaver sat with her and soon her friend showed up and she felt better about it and had a great time.  The adult class was very interesting, no plan due to the death of a long time parishioner, so the priest just opened up discussion with ask me anything and let the discussion move from there.  We ended up talking about the differences between the Western churches and the Eastern churches.  I did not realize that with regard to a lot of things Episcopal church beliefs are closer to the Eastern church than the Catholic. 

Then we raced home, quickly cleaned up and ate. My friend from the day before came over with her mother, future mother in law and another friend came.  We covered cardboard hat boxes with fabric.  They will be her centerpieces.  She baked scones and brought jam and tea and we had a bit of a tea party after we got the boxes done.  I was thinking the whole time if she leaves the scraps I am making her a table runner.  Her mom, dumped a handful or so into the garbage, when the left I rescued them.  The kids saw me, and I told them I what I wanted to do.  They raced out of the room, each bringing back a few scraps they had liberated during the day.  They offered up their treasures for the woman they view as aunt, I see her as family too, and immediately asked to help. Soon I will be helping to make her dress, my dress and the dresses of each of my daughters.  I need to make outfits for the boys too.  The wedding has a steam punk theme, so Victorian dress clothes.  

Then I fell into bed!!!

To market & new diets

This Saturday we woke to go to the farmer's market and it was raining.  We had a nice time anyway, returning home with kettle corn in kid tummies, coffee in mommy's and green onions, rhubarb, Blueberry Jam and Goat's Milk soap. 

 The ducks loved the weather, and the kids loved the ducks.  This momma was not happy I was taking pictures, but never moved away.

 This momma did not know we were there, as her babies were fussing.

 Papa did and tried to distract us by hopping in and out of the water.  Wonderful.

We had been planing a fire to burn the brush and roast some marshmallows but the rain worked against us.  Also, we have put Beaver on a diet for AD/HD.  I feel that changes to his diet, some work on study skills, organization, handwriting, reading and spelling over the summer plus making sure that he spends more time running and playing than watching things will solve his mild problem. So, navigating the maze of a new diet has not been fun.  Although, we are normally a eat when you are up and hungry for breakfast family, I think he liked sitting down to breakfast as a family - I know I did.  So no store bought marshmallows.  I will be making some later this week so we can do the roasting.  Mostly, we are increasing his protein, lowering simple carbohydrates, removing dyes & processed foods (no soda, candy and gum have not been well received).  Lots more cooking from scratch, we are all following this but I am letting the other kids finish up the cereal when Beaver is at school.  Here is Butterfly helping to make buckwheat bread. 

Weekend of goodness

View of the farmer's market from the riverbank.

We went to the farmers market opening weekend.  It was so nice.  They have expanded taking over more space and re-organizing it a bit.  So we'll need to get used to the whole extra aisle.  Mouse, Butterfly, and Badger came with me, each with their market bag.  Actually Mouse was using the first one I ever made a felted bag.  He tells me he wants his own.  Another thing on my list.  Several people, including two vendors, asked if I had made them and suggested I get a booth.  Someday maybe! We got kettle corn for the kids to eat while wandering and a cup of coffee for mom.  We looked at everything and danced with the music but only bought a one of raw honey and a bag of dried mushrooms, but we had a wonderful time and handing Jim back half the money I took with me was nice.  We disagree about lots of life-way or political issues but don't let the arguments affect our marriage as each is more important to the other than ideology. (This is more work sometimes and quite easy at others.)  I normally have cash and so having to get some from him for the market did affect what I bought as I know he thinks it is a silly way to get food.  

Badger watching the bear statues at the Market.

We had dear friends over for games, food and a quick spinning lesson.  They have three daughters the oldest one has a bit of crush on Mouse, the feelings are returned.  Is this how it used to go watching your child play and grow alongside a friend's child until someday they where partners in all things?  I am fully aware that I am well a head of myself with this idea but I expect all mothers wonder what kind of life partner their children will end up with.  She is sweet and smart. The girls and I made cookies, I also made pita chips, curried lentil dip, yogurt cheese with chives, and the most wonderful strawberry cake using the yogurt whey in place of buttermilk.  The was not cool before it was gone.  

Sunday, I got up early and went to the gardening center, for Mother's day gifts.  I got each of our mothers rose plant and told them if they wanted the roses came with planting service.  Three years ago we picked up orchids from home depot for them.  Jim's mother likes to tell us that for two years it did nothing and she was sure it was dead, but it has been flowering since.  I also picked up a bunch of stuff for our garden, figuring two trips to the garden store was too dangerous for me.  Not sure that plan helped much as I got 4 grape plants, 2 raspberry, 2 blueberry plants, 2 bag of onion sets, asparagus crowns, rhubarb, and seed potatoes.  So tomorrow (today is finals) will be super get the garden going day. 

Our parents came over and helped us trim the apple trees.  I had been planning on burning the brush but forgot to get this years permit, so no marshmallows for us.  In one of the trees, we found a woodpecker duplex!  I'll post pictures of all of that tomorrow with the garden transformation!  While the Grandpas helped Jim and me with the trimming the Grandmas watched the kids in the driveway - opposite side of the house from the chainsaws.  Mouse got his training wheels off and rode briefly on his own, but mostly there where too many people in the driveway. 

I hope your weekend was lovely and filled with goodness! - Julia