Gotcha!

I have been busy with gardening and the other things that I neglect when blogging. It seems one or the other. I can keep up with this or that. At this time of year there is a full day worth of work to be done outside as well as in so something is always  being overlooked. Then there are the sudden occurrences that throw the whole day out of whack. Like last night when Noah had a friend over and I was making dinner and the phone rang and it was my neighbor telling me that a fox had one of my chickens in his yard. He just wanted me to know so I could lock up the rest. Of course, our first fox attack has to take place on the most gorgeous lawn on our street and right in front. Nice. David was in a meeting at work so I was on my own to deal with it. The other chickens had run home so I had the kids quickly round them up into the coop and take a head count. I went to investigate and certain enough, there she was and the fox was still running around like crazy. I was a bit sad, but mostly mad. I put a lot of work into that chicken. A ton of work actually and this fool fox was just having a grand old time. I guess I can't be too upset because this is just a part of the circle of life. But he ran off and left her there and I had to collect her and rake up the feathers. I spent this morning digging a hole and burying her beside the other chicken that we had to put down a few weeks back. I was rather proud that I handled the whole thing on my own. Sometime I surprise myself.
My good friend Aris (although everyone calls her Lollie and I always forget that is her real name) who is an unbelievable artist and mother and creator of the beautiful blog, Peekadoo, has tagged me and I am compelled to participate. I have never done one of these before, but here goes.
Seven Random Things About Me
1. For most of my self-dressing childhood I insisted on matching my underwear to my shirt.
2. My car is a filthy pit of squished crackers, kids books, loose change and barrettes.
3. I really wish I was into yoga. Something about it always call to me.
4. When I was little I used to sit on the toilet and make up stories about my imaginary older brother named Troy.
5. My grandmother was 4'9" and was blind most of my life. I used to watch cooking shows with her like Julia Childs, The Frugal Gourmet and Yan Can Cook. Since this was before the advent of the internet it was my job to write the recipes down in big, thick, Sharpy marker letter so that she could see them. One of my most vivid memories was staying with her one night when my grandfather had gone to the Red Sox game and then the power went out and we cooked dinner and did the dishes by candlelight, standing side by side on step stools.
6. I always fall asleep at the movie theater.
7. I love silence, but in order to be productive I really need to listen to something to occupy my mind.

Not sure what I make of that list. It was just what popped into my mine. So now I tag Virginia, S, Julia, Vampdaddy, Penny-Wise, I can only think of five. That will have to do. For now.

Earth Day Wishes

* A very quick note: You have until noon today to enter the Laundry Tree SoapNuts Giveaway. It takes two seconds and is so worth it!

Of all the secular holidays that there are; Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, Mother's Day, and on & on, is there any one that can be as meaningful to all people as Earth Day? No matter your color, creed, gender, age, orientation, class or political persuasion, we all share a single home. The health of the planet affects all of us and we can all celebrate our small patch of this world and find ways to preserve and improve it. We are all environmentalists, even if we don't know it yet. It's difficult not be cynical. For some reason, my passion for the planet is the one place that skepticism has yet to infiltrate.

Five super simple ways to start saving money and resources right now.

1. Cut down on how often you wash your hair. Less frequent shampooing is actually better for your hair. You can still shower, less frequent personal hygiene is not necessary better for you or your social life. You can either wear a shower cap or wet your hair, but not wash it. I rinse my hair in the shower everyday and then just put on a dab of leave in conditioner and comb it out, but I only shampoo and condition about once a week. I can make a rather small bottle of shampoo last for months and I have some seriously thick hair.

Growth Spurt

A very exciting day indeed! Today I...

...got my seed order in the mail. I didn't get off my butt to start seedlings this year so this is all my direct sow stuff. I will have a list up of everything I am going to grow, or at least planning to.

...along with the seed order came my Bioset sprout grower. I have converted the children to sprouts and got them off cold cuts for sandwiches. I have always wanted to try this.

...ordered new chicks which will arrive in May. Our current flock of New Hampshire's is near and dear to my heart, but is driving me clucky with the way they peck each other. We selected them for their status as a Heritage breed as well as their cold hardiness, egg production and because they are considered to be "dual purpose". Yes, we will be dining on these when their egg days are over. OK, maybe not Bertha. We have since found out that they are a fairly aggressive breed and we have tried everything to get them to quick eating each others feather, with no progress. It's all very high school.

Meatless Monday After Midnight - Can You Say "Classic"

Slacker. There is no other word for it. I am a Blog Flunky. Maybe more of a Disstracker since I haven't just been lounging around, but more buzzing about with the goings on of life with children and various other beasts. So here I am, in the wee hours, putting down the words that have been swimming in my brain for weeks now.
I actually can't believe that this recipe was not Week One of Meatless Monday since it is not only in the bible of vegetarian cooking, but was probably my first introduction to the V-Word. The Vegetarian Epicure by Anna Thomas is one of two cookbooks that I associate with my mother, The Joy of Cooking being the other. And the recipe for Corn and Cheddar Cheese Chowder is probably my all time favorite thing that my mom made. It brings back warm, winter memories of ski vacations and wool socks; of my Dad's satisfied grin and footy pajamas. The book itself is a time capsule that has made it's way into my permanent collection.

Read For Relief - Show Your Support for Haiti

As much as I do try to avoid the gloom of the news and to focus on the positive, there are times when we can not look away and are called to action from a world away. Such is the case with the growing crisis in Haiti and, as a mother, I am filled with sadness and compassion, particularly for the children caught in the chaos that inevitably results after a disaster of this magnitude. With stories and images of increasing violence, it is easy to become jaded and disillusioned. But in the first few days after the earthquake hit, there were countless stories of the Haitian people coming together to dig with their hands, care for the injured and carry the dead. At nearly a week out, though, desperation has begun to set in as the most basic of needs are not being met. People seem to want to attribute this to cultural differences, but I am forced to ponder what would unfold should a crisis of this magnitude befall us in this part of the world. Even in the often sheltered world of the Northeast, it is not difficult to see that when a breakdown of basic goods and services goes on for any length of time, any "every man for himself" mentality would quickly set in.
I have found and am following the blog of a American missionary couple living in Haiti with their large family. The 24 hour transition from posts detailing their adventures abroad to the quick and frightening updates post-earthquake are a jarring reality check. It is very worth checking out at http://livesayhaiti.blogspot.com/.
And now on to the work that we can do from here. I have done the best thing I could think of and set up an online fundraising event on my Barefoot Books website. My official title with Barefoot Books  is "Ambassador" and I can think of no greater purpose for this role than to support the relief efforts in Haiti. Now through January 31st, you can make a purchase and I will donate 100% of my profits to UNICEF. In an effort to get funds there quickly, I won't wait for my commission to come from Barefoot (that's how it works for online sales). As soon as the 31st is here, I will cut a check to UNICEF. I think sometimes people need to get a little to give a little so this is a chance for folks to get a wonderful book while making a contribution. If you would like to support the role of UNICEF during the crisis in Haiti, please consider purchasing a Barefoot Book by clicking on the button below.

I am encouraging people to make a selection from the World Cultures category, but it is not necessary. There are many selections for under $10 that are beautiful books with wonderful stories. During this event, I have displayed some of my favorite Barefoot Books about other cultures in the My Favorites section. In "Tales of Wisdom & Wonder", one of the seven amazing stories is a traditional Haitian tale that can be enjoyed by young and old alike. Right now, this beautiful hardcover collection is on sale for just $9.99.
If you do choose a book about another culture, please spend time reading to and talking with your children about our part in the global community. I have used this as a way to talk to each of my children about what is happening in Haiti. Even a three year old can understand the sadness and fear that would come with being lost and alone and children truly have a servants heart. They all wanted to know what we can do to help. This is it.
Please consider bringing stories from around the world into your home as you reach out to those in desperate need. If you know of others who would care to be a part of this campaign, you can forward this post or direct them to http://hbplay.barefootbook.com/ where they can scroll to the bottom of the page and click on "Support This Event".
Right now, UNICEF is deploying clean water and sanitation supplies, therapeutic foods, medical supplies and temporary shelter to Jacmel and Port-au-Prince. UNICEF will also be focusing on children who have become separated from their families to protect them from harm or exploitation. UNICEF was established in 1946 and is "the driving force that helps build a world where the rights of every child are realized. They have the global authority to influence decision-makers, and the variety of partners at grassroots level to turn the most innovative ideas into reality." To find out more about UNICEF's emergency aid in Haiti please visit http://www.unicefusa.org/news/news-from-the-field/.

And now, words so wise and powerful they move me to tears:

"Each time a person stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, these ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance." - Robert F. Kennedy

Peace be with you all.

Credit History

I often find myself starting posts and then saving them because I feel they need a bit more background. That the true inspiration for many of my thrifty thoughts needs to be told before I proceed. I have known what I wanted to say for some time, but just haven't put it out there yet. So before I discuss one more idea, experience, recipe or tip, I must first give credit where credit is due.

A Birds Eye View of Winter

This morning, we awoke to our first full helping of snow. Shortly after receiving the 5:30am Snow Day Robo Call, I headed out to shovel around the coop door and check on the girls. We had a bit of a storm over the weekend, but it was very clumpy snow and ended up sticking to the aviary netting. This spared the chickens from having their run become a winter wonderland, but caused us much grief since we now know we have a bit of a design flaw. So saggy netting aside, our poultry friends had gotten off easy. Until today.

         

I opened the big door to find everyone quite a twitter and refusing to get off the roosts.

Big Boy Budget Birthday

Hey now, Simple Butta Blog! You thought I forgot about you, right? In addition to new businessy ventures, it is also the holiday season (as if you hadn't figured that out from the incessant barrage of waste and attempts at financial ruin). That has made things extra crazy and, round these parts, December gets even hairier as two of my three progeny made their way into the world in the 12th month. Not good planning on our part, but the one kid we weren't trying for was born in June so go figure. I'm just sayin' it - December can be a crappy month for celebrating birthdays. Most people think of the financial burden, but to me it's strictly scheduling. It has taken me weeks to figure out when to hold their parties, yet it took minutes to get their gifts together. My store of choice lies in my basement where I stash all the treasures I have picked up during yard sale season and on my weekly (OK, sometimes daily) trips to the thrift store. Yes, I give my children second hand gifts and they LOVE them! They don't even notice the lack of packaging.

An open letter to my blog.

Dear Blog,

I am so sorry that I have been a bad blog mommy of late. It seems that every time I think "Well, once *blank* is over I'll have more time" a new *blank* arises and sends each day into some jumbled twist of the space time continuum. I wish I were Hiro Nakamura. Not only would I be irresistibly daffy, but I could freeze everyone else while I ran around and got X, Y, Z and Z's cousin done.
I had thought that once the Festival de Making Costumes was over we'd be good to go until at least Turkey Day, but I have taken on a new venture and all sorts of silliness has ensued. I had been thinking about getting a little J-O-B a while back, but could never think of something that could fit into our lives without disrupting the flow too much. Flow is very important. Never underestimate it. Just as your Java and Html need to be in order for you to function, our laundry, lunches and bedtimes also need this kind of attention and Big Momma is the one who gets this done.
But then...a series of conversations led to the development of a plan and I have now found myself as the purveyor of my own business venture and I am uncharacteristically optimistic about it.  One cornerstone of this new deal is the discovery of Barefoot Books. Yes Blog, the written word has worked its magic again and I am thrilled to be an Ambassador for this publisher of Wonder-Full children's books. The best part is that they have a supa dupa commitment to the earth and its inhabitants so the fit with me is like a Size 10, pre-kids.
So now the brain cells that I used to use to daydream about posts on whole grains and used shoes have been reassigned and are on Creative Duty of a different sort. But I promise you this, you are never far from my thoughts and I am keenly aware that you need some one-on-one time, too.
I am busier than usual at the moment, but once I get my show on the road I think things will run a little smoother. Wait, didn't I just shoot that theory to hell at the top of this post? Well, look at it this way, part of my new gig will be to read inspirational tales, gaze at stunning art, and spend extra time with the kiddos test driving the goods. There have to be some good post ideas in there somewhere, right?
There are other pieces to the new puzzle, but that's enough for now. I don't want to overwhelm you. You are a good little blog and I want you to know that I love you very much. Yes, I do. I am working very hard to incorporate many eco-ideas into da biz and I have you to thank for sparking the creative flame that had gone dim for a while there. I promise to be back soon and I know that in the words of one of my greatest heroes, Mr. Rogers, "you'll have things you'll want to talk about. I. Will. Too."

Love - Me

One Morning Near Maine

To be clear - I am NOT a photographer. It is one of those skills I do hope to gain,

but here are some images from my 7am October world.

 I never knew a warm egg could be the best thing I touch all day. I slip them into my pocket

 and then hold them while I wait for the dogs to "get busy".  When I come inside and lay them in the carton beside their brethren, I count each one and say a silent thank you.

Meet Inferior Chicken. Don't worry, she isn't about to do anything. She just takes a look around and then goes about her day, pooping and eating. She is the only hen without a developed comb and her vent (that's butt hole to non-chicken folks) is puckered up tighter than a cheapskates wallet.

The chard and baby spinach look so sad at this frosty hour, but these greens are remarkably

resilient and by noon they will spring back to life and will be inviting me to come clip them

and turn them into something delicious.

This thin and curvy birch is my favorite tree on our property. It is dead or dying.

 I do not know which. The time will come when it will fall or need to be taken down and  I am already dreaming about what its new life will be.

When I am tired and weary from the daily chores that I have put upon myself by choosing this not-so-simple life, it is these moments that bring me back to the knowing that this is progress. These things are real and tangible connections to how we survive and, with a little luck, thrive.

Halloween History

Let's just put it out there right now - my mother is amazing. Not in a baking cookies-cleaning your room for you-white glove test- kind of way, but in a stay up all night to help you finish a project and still go to work the next day- Girls Scout leader/Sunday School teacher- teach you to love others as you would love yourself- "I am so proud of you"- should be canonized- sort of way. She was and is the best and although she wasn't super crafty, one of the things I will never forget is that she ALWAYS made our Halloween costumes. Even if it was out of poster board or assembled from old clothes, we never had a store-bought get up. So when I became a mother and had no vision of what kind of a parent I would become, I at least knew that I wanted to carry on this tradition. One of the most special things about doing this was that when my son was born, my Dad had already retired and since he was the only one in the family who could operate a sewing machine, we worked together on many of Noah's costumes. These have become the most cherished of memories as my Dad passed away over 4 years ago. Although my girls did not know him, when they don one of the costumes that he helped to create, we can talk about how wonderful he was and we all feel him close to us once again.
Even though Dad is not with us to help sew buttons or cut fabric, we are still carrying on with our commitment to do Halloween Homemade and now I try to give it an ecological twist, as well, by repurposing things we have and purchasing as much as possible from the thrift store. This year, I am making a Joker (a la Batman) for Noah, a ladybug for Josie and a spider for Ms. Caroline. These are a work in progress and as soon as I am done I will detail how they came together and, of course, add photos.
Until then though, I decided I would post some of our earlier costume creations and possibly get some folks unstuck if they are still trying to figure out what they can put together and are feeling the pull of the plastic guises on the rack at Walmart. I am missing a few years that were pre-digital camera, but let's see what we've got.

AHA! Noah as a musketeer at age 4. Not a single stitch in this thing. Just printed out a fleur de lis, traced it, cut out felt and glued it together in the form of a smock. Add an eyeliner mustache, David spray painted a dowel and made it into a foil and all the clothes were pulled right from his drawer or dress up box.

He wanted to be a vampire so I pulled this cape out of the dress up box and just put the rest together from things around the house. Did have to buy the fake teeth and some black hair spray. We also invested in a cheapo makeup kit that year. It is still going strong and noone's face has fallen off yet. Josie spent her first Halloween as his bat which is made mostly out of a hooded sweatsuit and was transformed from Noah's baby costume as a black cat. I ditched the tail and made wings out of cardboard covered with felt.

Stop! You're under arrest for continuing to crank out kids! After two babies in 18 months I did break down and buy the police hat and night stick. Again, the rest of his outfit is from clothes we had. I took white sweatsuits that I had for the girls along with baby hats and drew the lines with fabric marker. My favorite part was the ball and chain that each girl had. Painted a Styrofoam ball and made a pipe cleaner chain. Noah was six here and that was the last time I could con him into the group get up.

The gender neutral costumes were making their rounds this year with Josie wearing the Elmo costume my Dad and I made for Noah (he sewed, I dictated and made eyeballs). Caroline revived the bat and Noah went as a Highland Bagpiper. We are Scottish and that was my grandmother's kilt. He had the hat already and I made the sporin (that pouch thingy) out of a men's shaving case, some faux fur scraps, and a ladies chain belt I found for 50 cents. This was his idea and was one of our favorites!

And here is the crew last year. Poor Caroline is the eternal recipient of the hand me down and is sporting  Elmo (no choice given here). Noah wanted to be someone from Star Wars and my limited crafting and sewing skills led us to compromise on being Luke Skywalker as a Jedi knight. All the black clothes came from the thrift store, those are my black boots and he pulled the saber out of his toy box. Josie as the bag of jelly beans has got to be one of my all time favorite creations and was certainly the easiest. Two clear plastic trash bags (which I later reused) a bunch of colored balloons (not so ecofriendly, but they had a ball with them later) and the headpiece top of the bag was made out of a paper plate that I wrapped with cellophane and tied with ribbon. I then velcroed the plate to an old hat and attached a ribbon that I tied under her chin to keep it straight. Paint a few jelly beans on those cheeks and we had Halloween heaven.

*The one disclaimer I should put out there is that my kids are not allowed to just pick any costume. It has to be something I can actually figure out how to make. Noah started off wanting to be Batman this year, but after some discussion we decided that the Joker was more doable. I gave each of the girls a choice between two different bugs that I knew I could pull off and let them choose. To get a closer look at any of the costumes just click on the thumbnail to see a larger image.

I put together this photo retrospective for two reasons - to show that someone who can't sew, knit, paint or craft at all and really does not have any artistic inclination whatsoever can get a little creative juice flowing and find a way to put something together AND to further show that costumes can be gleaned from things you already have and second hand sources and need not cost more than a few dollars. Sure, there is a time investment, but trust me, it pays in spades. I know that when my kids are 30- somethings, these are the things they will look back upon and remember that their mom did it because she loved them. I know this because every Halloween I am reminded that my mom was the greatest and that the memories of her creations have lasted far longer and are sweeter than any cookie she could have ever baked.

You might be an ecocheapo...

...if you wouldn't even consider calling a bottle of something "used up" until it has spent two weeks turned upside down to get every last drop.
...if one of your child's first words was "rip-off".
...if you hoard frozen juice lids and egg cartons and occasionally find a use for them.
...if you have bought underwear at a yard sale.
...if you give someone a second hand gift and proudly tell them how little you paid for it.
...if you have ever hung your washed plastic baggies out to dry on your clothesline.
...if you even have a clothesline.
...if you wash your plastic baggies.
...if you have ever gone to a party, noticed their was no recycling bin, and offered to take all the cans and bottles home.
...if you have given someone something in a zip loc bag and asked "If you aren't going to reuse that can you give it back?"
...if you consider the word "disposable" to be offensive.
...if you have ever stood in a grocery aisle and engaged a four year old in a discussion about unit pricing.
...if your kids announce that you won't buy Cheese Sticks because "she can just cut the cheese!" to everyone within earshot.
...if you find any of the above only moderately embarrassing or unreasonable because your wallet and your world are worth it!

Good Night Eggplant

Today was one of those exhaustingly satisfying days where you feel like you did everything you were supposed to do. I started the day by getting up early (for a Sunday) and then fixed a supa dupa breakfast. On the menu was waffles with strawberries and whipped cream, scrambled eggs (from our hens with several double yolkers in the mix), sausage, hashbrowns and fried apples from the ones we picked a few weeks ago. After we had sufficiently stuffed ourselves, I posed the question "Imagine how much we could get done if we didn't turn the TV on all day?" oh, and "How about we all work outside all day and then this afternoon we will come in and watch a movie together?" Well, shocker, they all agreed. Hallelujah. Obviously some sort of body snatchers were here in the night, but I am not complaining.

So we got our acts together and headed outside. I hung laundry on the line while David finished up his last few punch list items on the chicken coop - got the timer on the light, buried the electrical line and put in some more vents. This meant that the chickens got let out to free range early since they are not happy ladies when Big Daddy is messing around in their house. I think they feel he is a bear. I might too if I were them. They couldn't have been too upset though because we still got 4 eggs today and hopefully the light will get the rest of their fowl butts in gear. I want to be drowning in eggs. I want to have egg nightmares and start saying "Dear God, make them stop!" David also mentioned that he wants to build another coop next spring and get more chickens. Maybe some meat birds. He may have just been trying to sweet talk me, but it's workin'.

On to the garden where we finally got all the dead tomato plants and the stakes taken out. We harvested my lone pumpkin, of which I am very proud, and cut back the strawberry bed. We also cut down the corn stalks and made them into a decorative bunch for the mailbox post, took out some of the eggplants and peppers that seem to be kaput, thinned some more carrots, tied up the peas a bit more and generally cleaned up all the beds. So now what we still have growing is:

carrots

green peppers

peas

yellow peppers

beets

jalapeno peppers

swiss chard

sage

spinach

oregano

bush beans

onions

radishes

Once everything is in I will take stock and give my summary on what worked and what didn't and what we would like to do for next year. Considering this is only our second season with the garden and it is HUGE and we have no clue what we are doing, I think we have fared pretty well. We have kept ourselves flush with produce all season and learned so much. Plus, we are so happy we decided to put in some fall crops this year. Our first season was long over by now so still having plenty to harvest is really exciting.

Even though I have a bit of a purple thumb (not black, but certainly not green) I love the garden. I love getting my hands in the dirt. I love seeing things progress. I LOVE like a crazy loon how into it the kids get. They loved picking up all the bad tomatoes today and squishing them. They will eat anything if I say it's from the garden. Here's a piece of dog doo. It's from the garden. Yummy! You're the best mom!

So after all the garden action was over, we set out the pallets to begin stacking our cord wood this week. We did a bit more tidying up around the yard and then David played some wiffle ball with the kids. Jesus, Josie kicks some serious butt. I felt bad because Noah only managed to make contact with a few and Jo hit every one. Caroline didn't quite get the concept of swinging the bat BEFORE the ball has passed you by and now rolled into the poopy mud in the chicken coop (swear to God it happened three times before we smartened up and shut the door to the run). Even though we have always told them that everyone has their strengths and challenges and all that, I could tell Noah was a bit distressed. I don't think it really makes a difference to him that when he was Josie's age he could read and she is just starting to learn the letter sounds. Someday it will make sense to him, though. What his purpose is; what his gifts are; what all of us are here to do and why things are the way they are. I suppose none of us knows that. I guess I don't know entirely what path I am on. But I know that when I am traveling on the one from my door to my garden I feel a sense of rightness and truth and connection and pride and that is what keeps me growing.


PS
The movie that everyone agreed upon as a reward for our hard work was "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown". TV, yes, but A) It's about a kid waiting in a garden and B) it's a throwback to simpler times and genuine human interaction; a rarity nowadays. Good grief.