Winter Marketing

Since using the last of my garden carrots to make Noah's birthday cake last week, my fresh produce cravings have kicked into overdrive. I have been making a strong effort to buy as little, non-local fruit and veg as possible since the end of the regular Farmers Market season and, needless to say, the well has begun to run dry.
In October, I did bid my local market a fond farewell knowing that I would hit some of the Winter Markets that are held monthly during the off season. With a surprisingly wide variety of products to choose from, I have been awaiting their arrival with a mix of excitement and desperation. I had to work all day during the November market, but that was alright because we were still enjoying the vegetables of our own labor.
Now, with winter whipping me in the face every time I step outside and a crust of ice and snow covering my

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.

Ecothical Dilema #2 - Eggsploitation

As our first snow of the season fell on us Saturday while watching our local Holiday Parade, I know my children's heads danced with dreams of candy canes and sleds; snowmen and Santa. My mind, however, was overwhelmed with one thought - Chickens. Being winter storm virgins, I thought that they might stay huddled in their coop until spring, that they would get agitated and start pecking one another, that I should already have put Vaseline on Bertha's floppy comb. But more than anything, I pondered my worst fear - a drop in egg production!

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.

Prepare Ye

Since I tend to be inspired by the goings on in my day to day routine, I frequently find myself wanting to blog about things as they occur. Holiday related activities, for example. But nearly all of the materials that I use to accomplish This and That are items that I am quietly socking away throughout the year and I forget that everyone may not have a stockpile of egg cartons or corks in their cupboard. I certainly don't want anyone running out to buy anything to tackle a task they find here as that would be the very antithesis of our purpose, wouldn't it? So I am going to start dropping some suggestions for bits and pieces that you may want to hang onto so that when you see a post come up about making 100% repurposed Christmas ornaments you can head right for your juice lids and get to work.

Lighten Your Load

When Noah was about five he started asking me this question "Mom, if you could have a robot that did any job you wanted it to, what would you like it to do?" Don't ask me where this came from. It just arrived one day and has never left. Now, at nearly ten, he still asks it on a regular basis and is genuinely delighted by my answer, even though it never changes - "Laundry."
It is the bane of my existence. I teach the kids not to use the word "Hate", but this is an exception. I HATE it. I loath it. I despise it. Any evil thought you can think about something I think it about laundry. Laundry, I spit on you. I curse you to the heavens. I seeth at your very existence, and yet, you still come back for more. You have to give laundry that, it's got tenacity.

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