Creating Balance: My Rich Life

This Sunday Morning..

2012-02-12T07:45:00.001-05:00

The house is very quiet, all my lovelies, big and small, are sleeping in. The snow is falling softly, it looks like we finally got about 4 inches, which is at least enough to play in a bit.

Such a peaceful morning...wishing you a peaceful week!

Make Ahead Meal Inspiration Sought....

2012-02-11T07:42:00.001-05:00

Mondays are our marathon day, starting with dropping Helena at school (she's in a 2 day a week homeschool enrichment program, which she loves, and which meets her socials needs) in the morning, then I'm home to work and care for Lucy and get as much done paperwork-wise as possible, then pick Helena up at 3, not enough time to go home, so we run errands or relax at the YMCA until her karate class at 5, which usually starts closer to 5:15 and runs over until about 6:30, getting us home at about 7:15 by the time she changes and we make the drive.

Oh, there are so many times when I have wanted to cancel this Monday evening karate class, but I can't bring myself to do it. She loves it, is learning so much and gaining so much self-esteem and sense of personal power from it, that it seems worth the sacrifice. So how to make Mondays work better?

We've tried eating out, which is less than desirable for the budget, but seemed worth a shot. But for whatever reason, we don't seem to get to bed any earlier that way.....chalk it up to the inevitable after dinner sillies (energy burst) that kids seem to get, but we seem to need wind down time either way. So being home is actually better.

Therefore, I'm in search of ideas for make ahead meals that are either ready in the crock pot or that Patrick can pop in the oven so we can sit down and eat when we get home.

This week I'm making a chicken pot pie (a favorite of Helena's), but I could sure use some more ideas, any thoughts?

How Coffee Was Discovered: A Mama's Fable

2012-02-07T10:08:00.004-05:00

This morning, after a broken, full moon-ey, night of sleep, where are 3 of the other family members took turns waking me (tiny one, to eat, the medium one, for bathroom help, twice!, the large one, moaning in pain, battling a kidney stone, poor thing), I stumbled downstairs and was, as usual, grateful for the wonders of the coffee bean. I'm equally grateful to the tea leaf, but due to stomach flus and kidney stones, I'm behind on my market trips and we're out of tea. So coffee it is.

It was somewhere, around the third or fourth glorious sip, that it was revealed to me...the discovery of coffee, was something like this:

The Discovery of Coffee: A Mama's Fable by Diana Griffin
There was once cave woman, with a cave husband and 2 cave children. They lived in a cave. Cave woman did not get a lot of good sleep regularly, because cave women have many demands on their time. Cave children need tending, cave husbands, who, when sick, tend to act like the cave children, also require a lot of care. There is food to find, food to cook, and clothing (skins) to clean.

One morning, cave woman woke early and stumbled to the cook fire. Groggily she added some sticks to the embers, and began to cook the morning meal.

There were some troublesome beans sitting around that cave woman had gathered, but that were not good to eat. She had tried boiling them, but they were not good to eat that way. She had tried roasting them, but they were quite bitter, and the children especially would not eat them.

Sleepily, she grabbed these roasted beans by mistake, intending to cook some berries they had gathered the day before in some water to soften them. After a few moments, she realized her mistake, but the aroma from the pot was quite enticing so she continued to cook them for several more minutes. Then she tried the beans. They were still unpleasant to eat, but the liquid was quite tasty, so she removed the beans and drank some.

Suddenly, cave woman was not sleepy any longer. She felt awake, and she smiled. She went and shook cave man and he grumbled and sniffed and rolled over. Then the scent hit his nostrils and he sat up. Cave women eagerly offered cave man some of the liquid and he accepted, first dubiously, then with greater interest.

When the cave children awoke, they thought the liquid smelled nice but tasted nasty. Cave woman and cave man were happy to drink it for themselves, and it soon became a morning ritual they both relied upon.

Moral: All fables have a moral or lesson embedded. This one has two:

1) Good things can come even from sleep deprivation
2) Necessity truly is the mother of invention, which our ancestors will attest to.

Happy Monday...oh yeah, it's Tuesday!

This week....January 22, 2012

2012-01-22T12:18:00.001-05:00

This week we....

....finally got some snow...Helena is off for a sledding date with Blythe in a few moments.

And I....

....did play with the girls, both of them, and it was rich and lovely. 7 year-olds are so great at creating complex games full of silliness. 4+ month-olds can giggle at the simplest things, like eating mommy's nose. This will make every week's to do list

....finished a crocheted hat, meant as a Christmas gift, but it will be ready for Valentine's Day.

....picked up another crocheted hat I started last year, and hope to finish it over the next week...

....stood by and observed with joy tinged with bitter-sweetness as my biggest girl took some big steps toward independence. And I spelled for her many of the words used in her journal entries and knew that the day when her thoughts are no longer always an open book to me is coming, faster than I want it to.

....fully accepted how tired a mama juggling sleepless nights with full days can get, and spent most of a day in bed. And the world kept spinning....

....acknowledged that my expectations for what I can accomplish in a day have long been unrealistic, and even more so now. Tried less, was frustrated less, and enjoyed more.

....was read to by my daughter as much as I read to her, wow!

How was your week?

Time for Play

2012-01-16T06:07:00.000-05:00

This morning I woke up feeling blah-sy...
I woke up feeling reasonably rested, made some tea, turned on the computer, and looked at my sticky notes on the screen (I love these, by the way, so GREEN!). It looked something like this...

- Pay business card when xxx check arrives
- complete application for Lucy's health insurance
- Revise Vermont proposal
- Follow up on medical billing.....

you get the picture....I think I may need more vitamin D...I'm sure I need more fun....

Not that I don't enjoy my days, and I do my very best so savor the richness that is my life all the time with these sweet girls, this amazing husband, this wonderful family and group of friends....
But sometimes, a midst all of the to dos, the laundry, the cooking, the cleaning, the driving to and fro, there just needs to be time to play. Really, there always should be, but I get bogged down, am the first child in my family, the responsible one, and so I forget. But I've been looking at my oldest daughter, the first in our small family, and thinking there is much I am teaching her by default....and I need to teach her to make room for play and those things that she loves, to prioritize them, even, or she might forget too.

So this morning, after looking at above list, I put these two on the top:

- Play HARD & LOUDLY with the kids!
- Get your crafty on this week! (which is grown up for play for me).

So here's to play time and wishing you time to play your heart out as well.

A Couple of New Favorite Recipes....

2012-01-14T06:43:00.000-05:00

I mentioned briefly on Sunday that I had made gluten free, dairy free brownies, but feel like the recipe deserves a bit more attention...

DARK CHOCOLATE BROWNIES
From Gluten Free Goddess, these brownies are really incredible, and I will be making them again, just because. My favorite brownies are the rich, fudgie kind, and these were exactly that. I used buckwheat flour in place of the rice flour because that was what we had on hand, and they were still great. The coconut oil adds a bit of coconut flavor, which I loved. I'll be making them this coming week for our friends who just had a new baby.....Papa happens to be gluten and dairy free, how convenient, will need to make a double batch :-)

ROASTED MUSHROOM AND GREEN BEAN FARRO SALAD
From Kevin, at Closet Cooking. I have to admit to never having eaten Farro before, and needing to look it up to even know what it was. It's a grain, apparently similar to barley, grown in Italy. I used Millet in place of the Farro in this recipe, once again, because I had it on hand. I don't imagine it was at all like Farro, but the salad was excellent anyway. I'll look for Farro and try it again that way. I think it would also be great with Quinoa. I don't think I had ever roasted green beans before, and they were lovely this way...will cook them that way again just to eat plain. Kevin's blog has a lot of really yummy recipes I'm looking forward to trying.

Happy weekend!

Two Types of Lasagna

2012-01-09T05:35:00.000-05:00

This is our garden, put to bed for winter. Last year we tried "lasagna", or layered, no dig gardening, and although we didn't plant a lot, due to my pregnancy and the need to set up the garden space, I was thrilled with the results. At the end of fall, we covered it up with the leaves that had fallen and it is waiting for spring. We also planted fall garlic, which we should be able to harvest in early summer. I've never done this before, so I'll let you know how it goes. I bought Romanian Garlic bulbs at Agway...large cloves with a medium flavor...

And this is the Lasagna I made, following Rosaria's recipe here. It was the best Lasagna I've made or eaten...and freezes really well. Rosaria's blog, Loving Real Food, has some wonderful, simple recipes, often with an Italian flair. Check it out.

Try the lasagna with some Razor's Edge Cabernet if you can find it. It was recommended by our local wine shop and it is some of the best wine we've tasted....many friends agree. We got the 2006 initially...now we can only get 2008, but it's also very good. From the McLaren Vale region in Australia.

This week....January 8, 2012

2012-01-08T05:24:00.001-05:00

This week....

I learned that my tiniest girl has ticklish ribs...

I taught my bigger girl to play Do-Re-Mi on the piano and smiled when she played it 4 times for our dinner guests later that day, and thought that she'll soon surpass my playing....

We also worked on blowing bubbles with bubble gum.....we're still working on that.....

I made gluten free brownies in honor of our gluten-free dinner guest Sandy....and they were amazing. I would eat these again.....

I breathed in and out and was calm and managed to get the necessary work done when Helena was home sick after two weeks vacation....marveling at the delicate balancing act that is my life, and that calm is always a better approach to all situations....

Took several long, sweet naps with Lucy, and we were both the better for them....

I stroked the chubby cheeks of my baby girl and the lean, silky cheeks of my bigger girl and was struck once more with how rich it all is, and how fast it all goes....

I began to ponder what needs to be child proofed in this how (oh so much!)...Lucy is a mover and will be getting around before I know it....

I wondered if winter, which in past years I've dreaded, will ever actually arrive this year....it was fifty degrees yesterday...

Drank the last bit of eggnog in my morning latte and said good bye to the holiday season....

Waited with so many other loving friends for AnneMarie and Rusty's little boy to arrive....thought he was coming Friday, but he'll be here soon....and their lives will deepen in ways that can't imagine yet....

These were some of the many sweet moments of my week....if you're inspired to do so, post a comment or leave a link in the comments to some of yours.

My view of the world looks much like this....much of the time....these days...and it is good.

Some New Recipe Favorites...

2012-01-05T05:59:00.001-05:00

Good morning! Good, restful sleep is such a beautiful thing!

Here are a couple of new to us recipes we've been loving that you may enjoy trying...

Baked Quinoa Patties, recommended by Lori, thank you! And found here. These are light, delicious, and filling. The seasoning is reminiscent of falafel, but they're lighter and legume free...important for me these days, since legumes seem to hurt Lucy's tender little tummy when I eat them...ahhh, but I really do miss them. I served them topped with yogurt, yum! I also used dried herbs...about 2 TBSP dried chives and 1 TBSP dried dill, in place of fresh.

Eastern European Vegetable Stew
From Moosewood, found here. Not sure what it is about this recipe, but all that root veggie goodness just really hits the spot. I've served it to my parent's and siblings a few times as well, and it's always a huge hit. Serve with some crusty bread and maybe some red wine?

Biscuit Topped Chicken and Root Veggie Stew
This is a bit more decadent, but another great root veggie recipe. Patrick and I both agreed that the biscuit to stew ratio was a bit heavy on the biscuits. Next time I'll double the stew portion or halve the biscuits. Find it here.

Happy Thursday and happy Eating!

Theme for the New Year...

2012-01-03T07:28:00.001-05:00

I really want to make time to post more here in 2012, and I've determined that in order to do that, I need to accept a couple of things:

1) My posts need to be brief...my time, as the homeschooling, part time working, mother of a nearly 4 month old and a 7 year old, is broken up into pretty small bites.
2) My posts need to be pretty low-frills. Not a lot of time in those bites for adding the perfect photo or other "bling."

So, here's a stab a brevity...

2011 was an intense year, full of big challenges and bigger rewards. One thing, at 40, that I'm getting a handle on is this...

I have to work with what I have....and that requires acceptance.

This, perhaps, doesn't sound like such and epiphany, but for me, the ability to truly understand and integrate this is just that.

I have spent a lot of my life fighting was it (or was), sure that if I just pushed hard enough, I would get away from the unwanted place or state (wrong job, wrong body, wrong feelings...fill in the blanks). Come to find out, it doesn't really work that way, and even when it does, it's a hard way to live.

So my theme for this year...Work with What I Have

More on this later....

Thoughts, anyone?

This morning.....

2011-12-30T07:37:00.001-05:00

......we woke early, Lucy and I. She was wet through, needed a complete change. I was reasonably rested for 5:45am, which, these days, is a gift. After all was dry, we sat, she and I and gazed at our pretty tree. It was her idea and it was a good one. We sat quietly and looked, perhaps, more closely, then we had through the busy holiday season. She wiggled a little, I sat with a calmness I've felt seldom recently. I looked at this pretty tree, that we will take down tomorrow in preparation for the new year and all that it will bring, and felt what I always do when I contemplate the transient nature of this life of ours. The rich bitter-sweetness of it all...how fast it all is. Her little hands folded and unfolded and sometimes grabbed my fingers and I felt intensely grateful for that small, sweet moment with my smallest daughter.

Wishing you joy in all of your moments, big and small, as 2011 draws to a close....

With Thankfulness

2011-11-27T08:44:00.003-05:00

What a year this has been....

I spent the last 3.5 days unplugged from regular life, from phone (no cell service), computer (didn't bring or borrow one), from day to day responsibilities except cooking and cleaning up after (and laundry, since our washer broke, we brought some). We packed up and headed to my family home and gathered together with family (only brother Steve was absent, but we'll see him soon) and some dear friends, ate, drank, and were thankful.

In the midst of a 3 day house party, I had some time to reflect on how very full this year has been. So much goodness, so much intensity, so very MUCH has filled this last year. In review:

We have a new family member, Luciana, who was conceived, carried, and born all since last Thanksgiving
My mama was diagnosed with, treated for, and is now just about in remission from breast cancer...just a bit more to go there, but all is looking so very good.
Patrick's fledgling new business celebrated one year in operation in October, and it was a very respectable first year.
We broke ground on a new garden and had just a few, but some amazing crops. Next year we'll be planting so much more.

There is always more that could be wanted, but really, in counting my blessings, my cup runneth over. We have stood beside loved ones and grieved with them their struggles and losses, some running so deeply, and can count ourselves lucky that this year we gained so much and lost so little. Not all years are like that, but for this one, I am truly grateful. Grateful to hold my loved ones close and grateful that I'm wise enough to be grateful for this.

I realize too, how lucky I am that going home to my parents is a peaceful, joyous thing. That it is sweet, and restful for me. I know not everyone is this fortunate.

Wishing you all a holiday season in which your cups too, runneth over.

Taking a breath, taking stock, and a full moon......

2011-11-08T09:30:00.000-05:00

Waxing moon, November 6, 2011

I woke up this morning feeling a bit sorry for myself...I'm loath to admit this, I, who abhor drama (except on the stage and screen, then I love it), was indulging in a bit of internal woe is me.

Then a simple comment about loss from a loved one via facebook reminded me of how very richly blessed I am, how little I have to ever complain about, and I'm better again. Thank you, dear cousin, for the reminder.

Thank you also Amanda, for the reminder to sit and just breath once in awhile...I do still have time for that, within my very full days.

I will be 40 in two days, and for just a brief bit I chose to look at my accomplishments (or lack thereof, really, is what I was focusing on), and sigh and start a small pity party. But the gentle reminders mentioned above have me back on track, so I've decided to focus instead on the triumphs of the last 10 years, and here is a short list, in somewhat chronological order:

- Left my home town and established a new life on the opposite side of the country, complete with amazing friends and new work in an unrelated field.

-Started a family with my wonderful husband: we now have to gorgeous girls. I can't take a lot of credit for them, they are amazing in their own right, but I blessed to be part of their journey and it's a wonderful part of my life now.

-Harnessed my underfed creativity and channeled it into something that fits well into my life right now: cooking. I was an adequate cook 10 years ago, now I'm a great cook, and unafraid to adventure into uncharted cuisine territories.

- Started writing again...this blog is my main outlet, and I love it, though I don't land here as often as I like. I love to write, and it feels great to do it after little writing time for years.

I could probably add to this list, but this is good for now.

The icing on the cake is that I get a full moon for my 40th birthday. Diana was the roman goddess of the moon and of the hunt, so it seems somehow appropriate.

Do you have any accomplishments you'd like to celebrate?

$400 grocery challenge review

2011-10-31T11:17:00.000-04:00

I was hoping to do a weekly check in this month, but life has a way of, well, being life! I came down with mastitis (kicked it quickly, thankfully), Helena got coxsackie (not so fast to get rid of that one), and I blinked once or twice, and here we are at the end of the month.

I just finished tallying receipts, and the verdict is...$511.55 for the month. So we did not keep within the $400 mark.

Here's where we went awry:

- I bought 3 jars of almond butter on sale before the start of the challenge for a total of nearly $30.00
- I bought $17.00 worth of olive oil on sale at our coop...I knew this would contribute to pushing us over, but went for it anyway, since it was good price on good quality olive oil.
- I sent Patrick to the store several times without a complete list, and he had to wing it...this always results in more spending.
- Since Helena was sick and her little mouth full of blisters, so we splurged on Popsicles and soft, out of season fruits we would not otherwise have purchased.
- I didn't plan ahead for Patrick's birthday, and we needed some birthday meal items I could have budgeted in better had been more organized.

However, this brought us in a good $200 under our normally monthly expenditure, so, in the spirit of celebrating the small victories rather than focusing on short comings, I'm considering this quite a success.

Some things that helped us cut corners were:
- Using what was available...lots of vegis still from the CSA, and therefor lots of soups and stews that made more than one meal.
- planning meals ahead and sticking to the plan as much as possible.
- Cutting back on meat a bit...Patrick felt ready to relax on the no yeast diet after being fairly stringent for awhile, so we did more vegetarian meals, and bulked up the meat meals with more vegis..and we both agreed we feel better with this balance.
- I did try to use some of what was on hand in the pantry, but made a point not to try to live mostly off what was there and drain our reserves, so to speak.

One thing that would have helped a lot would have been to incorporate more legumes, which I love, but am avoiding at the moment, since they seem to bother little Lucy's tummy when I eat them. We'll try adding them back again in another month or so as her system develops, and see how it goes. I miss them, especially this time of year.

This was a great exercise for me, and one that I will continue to work with. It feels good to tighten things up and be more mindful in this way, and it wasn't hard to do.

Heather has some great ideas in her weekly updates, and there are some great ones in the comments as well.

Happy Halloween!

Simply Ten

2011-10-07T11:52:00.001-04:00

Simply ten...ten simple things to be thankful for, inspired by Amanda Soule.

- Nearly a week of sun, after so many dark days.
- Good Coffee, mmmmmm
- Having the quiet house to myself for a bit (shared with a peacefully sleeping Lucy)
- Refrigerator stocked with CSA and garden bounty
- The beginnings of a meal plan, once again, after a long hiatus..ahhhh
- My favorite leftover soup for lunch
- My body, heading back to normal, after pregnancy and birth
- The image of Lucy falling asleep on Helena's chest (so grateful that the have each other)
- Wrapping up a big project before the sunny weekend=outdoor family time!
- Healthy, growing baby girl (3+ pounds and 3 inches in 4 weeks!)

Wishing you a wonderful weekend! Do you have a Simply Ten List? Post or link to it in the comments, I'd love to take a peek!

$400 for the month of October grocery challenge

2011-10-04T11:50:00.000-04:00

I haven't participated in any sort of blog-land challenge in ages...in all honesty, just writing here, given my busyness and sleep deprivedness these days is quite a challenge.

But I've been thinking along these lines already. Between maternity leave for me (unpaid, since I'm self-employed) and work slow down for Patrick (also self employed, it comes with the territory), it's a good time to tighten up the budget.

So we're joining Heather, at one of my favorite blogs, Beauty that Moves, for her October Grocery challenge.

You can participate or follow Heather's and other's progress by clicking the button above.

I would say that, on average, we spend close to twice that amount, which seems crazy to me when I think of it. I can remember the days, back in San Diego (food was cheaper there, then, not sure anymore), when we could easily get by on about $200 or so. But we were a family of two working adults, and we worked in hotels (me in banquets and spas, him on the conference circuit) where food was readily available to us on the job. I never thought to calculate how much we saved in not buying food, but I would guess that eating for free at work easily cut our grocery bill in half or more.

But I digress (as a so often do). Now, we're a family of four...2 adults, a 7 year old, and an infant who doesn't eat food yet, but whose breast feeding mama eats like a horse these days....

We buy local foods as much as possible, whole foods as much as possible, and organic as much as possible, and we cook from scratch. We also try to buy in season as much as possible, but I find myself cringing and caving to the picky eating habits of my 7 year old daughter and buying things like pre-made snack foods (which, when you buy the healthier varieties,cost even more) and strawberries out of season and the like.

Also, Patrick is on a low yeast diet, which requires a considerable amount of meat, also pricey.

So this will be a challenge, but not, I think, impossible. My strategy, such as it it, is as follows:

- Better menu planning...this has gotten pretty loosey goosey lately, and I know we spend less when I have a plan.

- Utilizing CSA veggies and gifts from my parent's garden in the menu plan, especially items from the "take as much as you can use" area. We've been good about this, but, I think, with a bit more planning, could be better. I have a nice bag of summer squash calling for creative use.

- Pulling modestly from what's on hand....don't want to drain the pantry or freezer, per say, but taking a look at what's there and what's been sitting could be helpful.

- Making a few more things from scratch...especially snack foods. Helena bores easily of whatever we get too often, so mixing it up could be fun and cost effective....this could also be challenging, given how full my plate is, so we'll see how it goes....

I'll keep you posted, hopefully with weekly updates...

Care to join in?

Savoring......

2011-09-13T11:24:00.000-04:00

These first days with our new little girl, already a week old today.

breathing in the utter sweetness of these moments...

holding them close to our hearts, knowing how quickly it all changes....

reveling in all the moments, sleepy, sleepless, and utterly sweet, when she still seems half of this world, and half of another...

joyfully introducing Luciana, and deeply aware of how richly blessed we are.

Quick party recap...

2011-08-30T16:44:00.001-04:00

How can it be that weeks have passed already, since this post. I told you I'd let you know how it went....

And all was good. It did rain, for about half the day. There were tears from Helena, when, after 5 minutes, the pretty party streamers we hung indoors sagged with the intense humidity. But then the guests began to arrive, mayhem by-way of 12 children and as many adults crammed into our little home ensued, and the fun began.

The cake turned out just right...all thanks to daddy's decorating skills. I think she will remember these cakes and how much love he always puts into them, when she's grown :-)

Sharing the birthday with "Papa" and having uncle Dave, home briefly from the Appalachian Trail (to recover from Lyme disease, and sporting a beard!), was a special treat.

Halfway through, the sun came out, the day became hot and bright, and the much anticipated water balloon fight ensued. And, thankfully, we were able to eat cake and ice cream OUTSIDE, quite a boon to this very pregnant mama.

Through it all, someone or other, and one dear friend in particular, was on hand every time I began a sentence such as, "it's time to," or "I really should," or "I need to," to cut me off with, "OR YOU COULD DELEGATE."

And so I did. And you know what? Despite the fact that I didn't manage everything and nothing was perfect, everything was just wonderful....how's that for a good life lesson in the form of a party?

As I lay here now, very pregnant and writing this from bed with a pinched nerve, not doing all those last minute things on my "before baby arrives," list, but resting as my body truly seems to want, I'm pretty sure that, whenever this little one chooses to arrive, no matter what's done or undone, everything will be just wonderful anyway.

Front Page Coverage!

2011-08-10T09:46:00.000-04:00

As a follow up to This Post, Patrick is on the front page of the Ithaca Journal today!

Bragging Rights....Energy Auditor Training for Teens in Ithaca

2011-08-09T07:14:00.000-04:00

Have I mentioned before how awesome my husband is. If not, let me do so now, and give you one example.

Two weeks ago, Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) and some other amazing and dedicated individuals, offered an Energy Auditing Training course for young people in our area (Ithaca, NY), with Patrick instructing (this is what he does).

14 young people, mostly high school age, but with one student in 8th grade and several being recent high school and college grads, took a week long BPI Building Analyst Certification Course, resulting in the opportunity for professional certification when testing requirements are met. The program was grant funded and all student were given 100% scholarships to attend.

The Building Analyst Certification will aid these students in entering the Green Jobs work force, and allow them to provide much needed auditing services in our area. We've already heard that one student who had been working as an intern, was offered a paid position in the field after completing the course.

In brief, an Energy Auditor evaluates homes and other buildings for energy loss, and makes safe and cost effective recommendations (recommendations that will pay the homeowner back in $$ not spent on heating, cooling and electric costs, in a relatively brief period of time) for changes to the home to save energy. Safety is a key factor in the training, because when you tighten up the air space in a home, it's critical to determine that all combustion appliances (those that can produce carbon monoxide) are installed, functioning, and vented properly.

Many New Yorkers qualify for a free energy audit through NYSERDA's Home Performance with Energy Star Program. Look HERE for more information. Small businesses and not-for-profits may also qualify. Details HERE. If you live in another state and are aware of a similar offering, please let me know. I'm working on content for Patrick's newly launched website and would love to add information about programs that other states are offering to our links page.

Regardless of your thoughts and feelings on the state of our global environment, (and I won't pretend mine aren't strong) an Energy Audit makes sense. Why not make some improvements and pay less for utilities. It's greener, and who couldn't think of a better way to spend that money?

The program was a success, and there are plans to repeat and expand it. I had the honor of helping in a small way with some of the administrative details involved in pulling this training together, and it was an altogether lovely experience. And I'm ever so proud of this husband of mine and the gifts he has to offer.

A Different Approach.....

2011-08-07T07:13:00.000-04:00

Today we celebrate my daughter's 7th birthday, and my father's 70th. Her birthday isn't for another month, his, another week.

But there's a baby on board, and things are getting rearranged to accommodate this new arrival, due in just 4 weeks, give or take.

Part of preparing for this new little person to join us, well, in person, has been a significant amount of mental rearranging on my part. I'm not "all there yet," but moving in a good direction, I think.

This pregnancy has been very different than the first, but then my life is also very different, much fuller now, than before. My energy level is low, my body hurts, often. The baby, growing just fine, the mama, dragging along through the process with as much grace as possible. And, that, it seems, is the key. Moving through life with grace.

I've begun to think my real goal in life is just to move through each day, with as much grace as possible, despite whatever circumstances surround me. I've tried it the other, trying to make the circumstances okay, but that doesn't always happen. Working to be okay in spite of the circumstances is not always a simple task, and I don't always make it, but I have a much better shot at this, than at trying to control through whatever means, what is happening around me.

I cannot seem to control my fatigue with this pregnancy...resting more certainly helps, but doesn't seem to alleviate it significantly...I can currently fall asleep sitting up, in most locations, with very little notice. I can't control the fact that my mom is working through breast cancer, but I sure can be grateful that the treatments seem to be working. I can't help that a good friend lost her mother this week, however the timely, and that I'm far away and cannot offer much comfort. But, I can offer what comfort I can and pray that some peace is offered there too. And be slow enough to breath through it all and be grateful, and learn to just be.

Today we're hosting an event for these birthdays, and inviting guests into our home. I love to host a good party...love to cook, love to invite people into our home. I also love to make everything from scratch and have everything ready well in advance....haha! Not this time!

In seven years, it's never rained for Helena's party. This year it looks likely...one would think August would be a better bet for weather than September, and it's been a hotter, drier summer than average. Today it's going to rain, in all likelihood. Gone are the plans for the water balloons, the wading pool, and the sprinkler...in with the new ones...dance party, indoor crafts and games...

I bought food I could make myself, because I just can't this year. The house isn't as tidy as I'd like it to be...the guest list...somewhat incomplete as I barely got invites out on time, and missed some altogether.

The handmade favors still need finishing....

The gorgeous CSA flowers need arranging.......

The cake needs frosting and decorating.....

The cheesecake (for dad!), despite cooling in the oven slowly...cracked...a lot!

There's still much to be done today before guests arrive. Once upon a time I would have been up at dawn (I am, but not because I chose it today), dashing around frantically and getting "it all done." Not today. Today I chose to sip my tea, and sit and reflect on how I'd like to remember this day....

I'd like to remember the smiles, the people who came, just the right mix, somehow, and just enjoy them all.

I'll let you know how it goes...

Summer Favorite: Linguine with Pecorino, Tomatoes and Arugula

2011-07-26T22:03:00.002-04:00

I'm trying to remember if I've posted this recipe previously? My brother made it for us about 8 years ago, and it's become a summer favorite ever since. One can, of course, buy these ingredients at large markets year round, but there's something about using fresh, in season arugula and tomatoes that makes me want to save this one for summer only.

Arugula tends to bolt and go to seed when the temps get up there, and tomatoes don't ripen, generally, until it gets pretty warm. But there is usually, around here anyway, a brief intersection at the beginning of tomato season (and end, if you a did a second, later planting of arugula), where you have both ripening together, either in the garden or, as in our case, from our CSA. This is one of those weeks for us, so we had it for tonight's dinner. I meant to take a photo but we ate it up to fast :-)

I like to serve it with Italian sausage, sometimes garlic bread, and for those who can (since I can't at the moment), either, a lighter red wine, or, Patrick's current favorite, Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc.

Recipe found at Epicurious

Recipe Notes:

I generally don't remember to have shallots on hand, but have substituted all kinds of onions and even chives with good results. I increase the balsamic vinegar to 1/4 c (because we love it so much). Pecorino Romano is lovely, but rich sometimes for our budget at about $18.00/lb, so I often use traditional Romano at about 1/2 the price, or even Parmesan, with equally scrumptious results.

a thought for a summer Sunday afternoon

2011-07-17T12:29:00.000-04:00

Life is very full, and often, fast. But sometimes, in the midst of it all, I remember something important.

That it's all so fleeting, both the good moments, and the hard moments. In these rarer moments, when I can step outside of myself and remember this, it's easier, also, to remember to really revel in the good moments. To breathe them in, soak them up, and enjoy them fully. And not to dwell too much on the harder ones, angry, sad, or just stressful ones. For they too will pass in the blink of an eye.

Today was the birthday of both my paternal grandfather, who lived to a fairly respectable old age, and my dear sister in law, who passed way too soon. May we all remember to revel in the moments we have with those we love, not knowing how many precious moments will be given to us.

Happy Sunday, July 17th, 2011

CSA Love...Sweet Land Farm

2011-07-07T06:32:00.001-04:00

Someday, I'm thinking winter-ish, when the compelling need to be outside soaking up sunshine is past, when the baby has arrived (only 8-ish weeks now, holy cow!), when life settles down a bit (am I really thinking this will happen?), I may again post more frequently. There's so little time these days, and this pregnancy has not come with the burst of energy I got halfway through when carrying Helena.

Part of accepting that, has been scaling things back a bit. The large garden we planned hasn't materialized. We have kale we're harvesting, and a few odds and ends we got in that will bear fruit later in the season, and the ground will be ready for a more serious endeavor next year, but we're not going to be primarily eating fresh foods that we grew ourselves this summer.

Instead, we are enjoying the bounty of a weekly CSA share. We did this once before, while sharing a home with my parents for awhile, and I loved it then too. Having a box of who knows what each week taught me to eat things I hadn't given much thought too before, largely greens other than lettuce.

A good friend recommended Sweet Land Farm, and we are really loving it. I've heard there are other great CSAs in the area, but this one really works for us. They have this wonderful set up where you show up weekly and fill your bag with your choice of what's available then. We love this, because we get to try a little of the things we're unsure of, and really load up on what we're craving (can you say cilantro! so much salsa these days!).

Also, they have a take as much as you like section, largely greens now such as kale, collards and chard, and you can take as much as you can eat that week (not meant for stocking up and preserving). This gives us plenty of the greens we love, and we've been putting them in everything.

Bounty from the first week

Finally, they have a u-pick section, some of which is unlimited (we loaded up on basil this week), some of which is rationed...strawberries and sugar snap peas...mmmm! Oh, and flowers. Did I mention flowers? You could easily spend the $20-ish dollars a week per share on the flowers we've been picking.

Wishing you all the delights of summer's bounty!

A fun twist on Root Veggies

2011-05-08T06:00:00.000-04:00

Another bit of silver lining on the new adventure in eating is that we've discovered some yummy favorites we might not have otherwise encountered.

We're all big potato fans in the house, and, of course, this is off the list at the moment. We often do oven baked fries, planks of potatoes tossed in olive oil and spices and roasted. Instead, we decided to try turnips this way, and liked them so much that we tried rutabagas as well, and I even threw in some beets. Patrick couldn't eat these, but Helena loved them as did I. Now our 6 year old is enthusiastically eating all kinds of root veggies that I didn't even try until I was an adult.

I used this recipe, http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/crispy-turnip-fries/Detail.aspx, and, for the sake of Patrick's restrictions, omitted the Parmesan (no aged cheeses for him). I used granulated garlic in place of the garlic salt, and added a bit of salt to taste.

These are easy and yummy.

Some sweet things for the weekend

2011-05-07T06:00:00.002-04:00

I took these photos last summer while driving a road I don't travel frequently....maybe I should more though, they left me with such a warm feeling. May they brighten your day as much as they did mine.

Meatloaf...low carb, low yeast

2011-05-06T10:23:00.000-04:00

On our yeast free adventure, I've found it necessary to adapt some of our favorite recipes so that Patrick can continue to enjoy them, as well as seek out new ones. Here's an old favorite with a new twist.

Meatloaf, adapted from Betty Crocker's New Cookbook

1 Lb Lean (97% fat free) ground beef (I've been using grass fed, organic, and there's no comparison)
2/3 cup milk
2 tsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1 tsp dried ground sage leaf
1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder (or 1 clove, finely chopped)
1 large egg
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1/4 cup finely chopped onion

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Mix all ingredients and pressed into an un-greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes until internal temperature reaches 160 F.

Notes: It's a fine line between done and dry here, so watch carefully once you hit the 50 minute mark. The flax seed acts as a healthy binder without adding a lot of carbohydrate (and thus yeast producing,) content.

Patrick is a gravy lover, and I find that some broth and a little fat cooks off this, which I can drain and make about the right amount of gravy for the meal.

Gravy:

Drippings and broth, add milk to equal 1 cup
1 1/2 TBSP Cornstarch dissolved in 1 TBSP cold water
1 tsp Braggs Liquid Aminos
Salt & Pepper to taste

Warm the drippings, broth and milk in a pan. Add Braggs, whisk in cornstarch/water mixture and heat to boiling. Simmer for a minute or two until thick. Season with pepper (and salt if needed, Braggs is fairly salty) to taste.

Hope & Nourishment of a Different Type

2011-04-26T09:19:00.000-04:00

Our lives have taken an interesting dietary twist recently.

Patrick has, intermittently, for the past decade or so, experienced some severe digestive discomfort. It's not often, usually less than once a month, some a little more frequently, sometimes months could go by without an incident. Medical Dr.s have not come up with an explanation or solution, other than some medications to manage the issue, but that didn't address healing it. Alternative practitioners have recommended other various courses of action, non of which have worked.

Recently, he began seeing a new acupuncturist. This time, we went in with a list of all symptoms he experiences, a longer list than in the past, including an unexplained skin rash that various prescription and over the counter creams had not lasting affect upon. This practitioner, after a week of treatment took another look, called in a consult, and the verdict was......Candida. Which, if your not familiar with the term, is an overgrowth of yeast. Basic info to be found here.

Candida is controversial, in that, for the most part, M.D.s give it no credence. But, at this point, with no other explanation for what's been going on, we decided to latch onto the hope that this might, just might, be the answer.

For the past month, he's been on a very restrictive diet. I've been on various kinds of diets in my younger years, and more recently have concluded that balance is good. Some protein, some carbs (of the complex, unrefined sort), and lots of fresh veggies seem to work well. I'm not a saint, we do use white flour and sugar here and there, but they're not staples in our home.

The Candida diet is challenging in that you can basically eat meat, eggs, some nuts and oils, and non sweet, non starchy vegetables. That's about it, as far as the commonly agreed upon safe (non yeast producing foods). There are many conflicting opinions on what other items can be included, especially in the first phase, which is the detox phase where you really starve the yeast and cause it to die off. Once you get past this, the list of what's okay gets even more confusing....but we're not there yet.

So far....for the first week or so, Patrick's digestive symptoms actually increased, and he has a hard time digesting much of anything...then they faded, and it's just been getting better and better since. The skin rash is almost completely gone (and he's not using anything topically now), he's lost a bit of extra weight (he only had a little extra) but is not losing much more quickly, and mostly feels pretty good.

This has been an interesting cooking adventure for me, and I'll share some of the successes soon.

For Fun and Vicarious Adventure....

2011-04-12T10:38:00.000-04:00

My baby brother (we're 14 years apart, and I did change his diapers, thank you very much!), and his friend Jon are hiking the Appalachian Trail, the whole thing!

They're blogging periodically, via cell phone post (I think), when service is available.

You can visit their blog here, if you like. http://atdaveandjon.blogspot.com/

These days, hiking from the basement (laundry) to the second floor (where most of it goes) is a pretty good hike for me, but I'm learning and having fun following their journey. "Trail Magic, " for example, is a new term to me, meaning when someone provides food on the trail for the hikers. Often this is done by past "Thru-Hikers," or people who have already hiked the whole trail themselves. They provide meals and other treats for those doing the trail now.

They left a month ago, and plan to be home sometime near the end of the summer. I wish I had done more of this sort of thing when I was younger...maybe when the kids are grown:-)

Hope & Nourishment

2011-03-24T20:11:00.000-04:00

This has been an intense month or so. About a month ago, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. The prognosis is good, very optimistic. Treatments have begun, and, she's responding very well.

I cannot describe the range of emotions I have moved through in this last month, and continue to feel. I won't try, it's all to ethereal, changing from moment to moment for me.

The practical side of me wants, as always, to do something, to take action. Positive loving thoughts are in my mind and heart as often as I can bring them forth, and I use them to push past fear.

But I am still a hands on person, wanting always to dig in some how and contribute tangibly.

So I cook. Blessedly, this news coincided with gradual cessation of my morning sickness and return of my appetite. I will admit, from weeks 6-11 or so of this pregnancy, I was not much of a cook, and my family was probably bored silly with my repetitive cooking of the few things I could stomach. But now, food, with a very few exceptions, is good again, which is a very good thing when you're trying to fatten up you're sweet mama a bit.

I made this Cream of Asparagus Soup, with homemade bread using the Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day Master Recipe.

I also made cream puffs for her...anyone who knows my mama knows she loves all types of whipped creams and custard. I used the recipe from my Betty Crocker Cookbook. The puff recipe I found here. The vanilla custard is not included in this link, but any from scratch vanilla custard would suffice. Or, you can use sweetened whipped cream, which is also quite good.

Others have included my favorite Tomato Cabbage Soup, from this post. And Grecian Isle Stew. With bread, as always.

Although my first thought was to feed my mom, in the process, I'm also feeding my sister (still at home) and father, who are her main onsite supports right now, and that also feels wonderful. They too, must be experiencing some version of this range of emotion. My dad mentioned to me last week how much he's been enjoying the soups I've been bringing. It warmed my heart.

For me, action brings hope. I'm so grateful for something, anything I can do that is helpful. Grateful that this has all come about at time when medicine has taken such great strides forward toward more effective, less invasive treatments. So grateful too, that my mom is getting such good care, and that she feels so good about it all. Although at times I'm still SO scared, it's all really so very good.

Proof of Spring

2011-03-14T08:11:00.001-04:00

March is a fickle month around here. It can be 50 one day, and 20 the next. We can have rain which melts most of the snow, and the next day....

Aha, says old man winter, I'm not done with you yet, and dumps another 15 inches....sigh.

But we've since had more rain, which has melted much of this, and despite a very gray weekend, and more snow this morning as I write...spring really will come.

Sometimes, oh faithless me, I need visual proof of this eventuality. So I went digging through some of last years photos....

It really is coming!

Breaking Radio (web, really) Silence with a Small Announcement

2011-01-28T06:44:00.000-05:00

I have not been here much in the last month. Not here in this writing space, and not visiting other blogs much, either.

It isn't that I'm not interested to read what others are saying, I always am. And it isn't that I don't have much to say, I always do!

But big changes are afoot here, and I have been more quiet....you see, our family is expanding to add another person at the end of the summer, and I'm not quite myself these days. Or maybe more so.

This journey into parenthood has been ever so interesting, with all it's beauty, wonder, and amazing twists and turns. Our daughter has brought so much richness into my life that it's difficult even to express it all. And now, another small person is growing quietly in my body, and everything is changing once again, and I can't wait to see who this person will be. What a gift, to be the conduit for new life.

I hope to be around here more often as things settle out a bit....at the moment I'm pretty well consumed with just managing the basics while eating nearly constantly, and trying to stave off near constant nausea. But for the moment, it's eat, rest, get a few things done, and dream.

12 Days of Christmas

2010-12-26T08:37:00.001-05:00

Phew! We have survived the preparations for the holidays, and then sailed gracefully (although rather later than planned) into a glorious Christmas Eve & Day. I really couldn't ask for a more perfect couple of days, except perhaps to have our loved ones who are far away nearby. We spent Christmas Eve with my family, and it was just fun and lovely, the way family holidays should be. We were there way too late, stayed up even way too later to get the remaining (almost all!) gifts wrapped, and then slept later than I can remember sleeping in years, the small one too!

I was thinking about 12 Days of Christmas, also known as Christmastide, which begin Dec 25th and culminates with 12th Night (Jan 5th), followed by the feast of Epiphany on Jan 6th. There's a great explanation of all of this at Wikipedia, if you want to further your understanding of all of this.

Sometimes I think it would be great to extend the Christmas holiday for 12 days, but today I'm tired, peaceful, and just basking in the glow of the lovely 2 days, and it feels enough. 12 days off work to rest and just be home would be nice though....some companies do this. We have friends who work for Solar Turbines out in San Diego, and they go on holiday shut down from Christmas-New Years each year....that would be lovely, I'm thinking.

Helena has fallen in love with the song, The Twelve Days of Christmas, and we have had a blast singing it together this year, especially on tedious, tired car rides. I love listening to her sweet voice piping out all 12 verses.

We also have a book featuring this song with pictures. She loves the story too, but wondered out load, why the true didn't just give his "true love," why all that stuff? She even added her own 13th day of Christmas verse, were the true love gives true love. That's my girl!

Happy, Happy New Year to us all!

Soups for the Season, December 17th, 2010

2010-12-17T06:47:00.000-05:00

Feeing well again, and back to the soup season...Here's a nice, simple, hearty one for a cold day. Leftover's freeze well too, great for quick, warm lunches.

Lentil Tomato Soup

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups uncooked lentils

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes

2 yellow onions, diced

1 green pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup chopped celery

3 cups vegetable broth

3 cups water

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

parsley, chopped (optional)

salt and pepper, to taste

Directions
In a large pot, heat the olive oil and add the garlic, onions, green pepper, and celery.

Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until garlic and onions begin to brown.

Add the vegetable broth, lentils, turmeric, and tomatoes.

Bring to a boil then turn down the heat to a simmer and cover.

Cook for about 40 minutes or until lentils are tender. Add some water or more vegetable broth if the soup is too thick.

Add salt and pepper to taste, cayenne pepper if you'd like a spicy soup, and sprinkle parsley over the top if desired.

Makes about 8 servings.

Found here

Donate Your Unexpired, Unused Meds

2010-12-08T12:26:00.000-05:00

My daughter recently reacted badly to a certain antibiotic, she just couldn't stomach it. This left us with a brand new, nearly full bottle of medication. I dug around and found that there's an organization, The Health Equity Project, that accepts these and other prescription meds and sends them to developing countries where medication is scarce.

You can find the Health Equity Project HERE. The mailing address and list of accepted items are on that page.

In my searching, many links directed me to the Starfish Project, which is now apparently defunct. It took some hunting to find this, so I thought I'd share.

Have a great day!

Finding True North....part 5

2010-12-07T10:10:00.000-05:00

Photo Courtesy of Steve Wall

Distilling it all Down

What do you truly want in life? What do I want? Moreover, where is the intersection of our wants and needs?

These are big questions, without seemingly simple answers. This post, from Rosaria, has got me thinking (darn it!). That and other life factors...it seems we've reached another crossroads as a family, in terms of my husband's career. Which path do we take? So delicious and abundant, somehow, to have options, but so utterly overwhelming to me at times too.

Here are the items that matter to me, in this moment, as they roll off the top of my head.

- I want to be healthy, to have energy to meet life head on, whatever comes.

- I want my life to be simpler, with fewer interruptions. I find our level of connectivity (email, cell phone, smart phone) somewhat exhausting.

- I want to spend as much time as possible with people I love, or at least, like a lot.

- I want a home and the feeling that we can sustain this home without backbreaking effort. I think of my parents, who bought their first home in the early 1970s for $30,000, on a $30,000 income (and that was one income, thank you!). In 2009, according to the US census, the median home price was $216,700. The median income in 2009 was $49,777. Anyone else notice the disparity here?

- I want to go to the doctor when I'm sick and not be afraid of the bills that come after ($803/month for high deductible insurance for a family of 3 is a bit much, perhaps?).

- I want above mentioned home to have the useful things we need, and for some of them to be pretty, and probably handmade, or at least well made. And I want them to have a place to be put away when not in use. And when they're all put away, I want a simple, uncluttered, but lived in and well loved feeling to this home.

- I want to work hard, and I mean this in all sincerity. I do not prefer to be idle. Quiet sometimes, but not idle, not much. But I don't like to feel like I'm on a treadmill. Work with a purpose feels good. Work without purpose, or with the purpose of consuming more, not so much.

My parents gave me some amazing gifts, many of which I didn't appreciate at the time, some of which I probably still don't get. But many of them are coming home to me now, in a big way.

We didn't have cable TV. We had limits placed on how much network TV we did watch....albeit, that was a lot simpler in the days when kids programing was basically between 3-5 pm and on Saturday mornings, with a few little kiddie shows on PBS in the mornings.

We bought most things used...cars, clothing, housewares, furniture. This chafed me at times, especially in my teens when friends had new clothes, fancier houses, and just more stuff. I'm so grateful for this now...this part of my childhood prepared me to be a more thoughtful person as an adult, at a time in the world when consumption is at an all time high (or maybe ebbing a bit, hopefully). It taught me to use my resources wisely and thoughtfully, and think of the inherent costs involved in everything, not just the sticker price.

They taught me to treat others as I would like to be treated, and to widen this thinking beyond my own immediate circle, to the community of people who share this planet. It's not enough to be kind and thoughtful just to those I interact with directly. My actions affect people thousands of miles away, and it's time to get real about all of that.

As we move forward with our decision making process, keeping the bigger picture of what is important, what choices will enhance our quality of life and the lives of those around us need to be the key factors to consider.

As we rapidly approach the holidays and the shopping that usually entails, I find myself more and more ready to do this in a small, simple, thoughtful way. In the past holiday shopping has made me both anxious and tired. This year, I don't think I'll be doing much of it. Here's something to think about, if you haven't seen this already.

The Story of Stuff

Full...

2010-11-26T07:10:00.000-05:00

My life is so very full these days...and mostly just full of wonderful things and people. I would love to sit and reflect upon all of this, but it's time...

to load of for our baby tree fundraiser! Very excited about this. Tired, too, after such a week, but mostly just excited excited excited.

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday weekend full of the best kinds of love

Holiday Fundraiser for the SPCA

2010-11-15T07:34:00.003-05:00

I have been thinking a lot about the idea of being of service..to others, to the community, be it our local community, or the larger global community. These are not new thoughts for me. We did volunteer work with our parents from time to time when I was small, and it has always resonated with me strongly, this idea of thinking beyond my own doorstep, and giving outside my immediate circle.

I have been thinking and dreaming more along these lines since becoming a parent, as I think about the values I'd like to pass on to our daughter. Service is high on that last.

Paradoxically, these feelings of wanting (maybe even needing) to be of greater service, have come at a time in my life where I feel like I have the least amount of free time to share. When the demands on me and my time are greater than ever before. Who knew (ha ha, some of you veteran parents are laughing at me now), that parenting would be quite this demanding.

Yet this fullness in my life also really drives home the need to do some of it now...the important stuff, that is. One of the bigger gifts of parenting has given me is to teach me (it's still teaching me daily) to prioritize. If there's one thing I've learned in recent years, it's that if I don't make the important things a priority, they WILL NOT HAPPEN.

Apparently, I could go on and on about this topic, I feel like I'm just warming up. But more at a later date. Let's get to the point.

Somehow, I got this idea to sell trees. We have these huge, gorgeous spruce trees surrounding our property. And they make lots of baby trees. These mama and papa trees are about 50 years old and quite hardy. Who wouldn't want such a tree in their yard?

Well, now's your chance!

On black Friday, November 26th, we will be selling baby spruce trees at the SPCA Annex at the Shops at Ithaca Mall. We'll be there from 10am-4pm, or until we sell out, whichever comes first. We have a few friends helping out and we think it will be a lot of fun. Moreover, 100% of our proceeds will benefit the Tompkins County SPCA.

Trees will be from 3"-15" tall and the price range is from $2-$10. We plan to have around 40 trees available for sale.

If you're in the Ithaca area, please help us spread the word about this fundraiser. We would love to sell out completely, and may repeat this again in December if the first round is a success.

If you can't make it on the 26th, you can also donate directly to the Tompkins County SPCA here. Or web search your local area & SPCA to find a shelter in your region to donate to.

When Life Gives You a Broken Refrigerator....

2010-11-06T17:15:00.000-04:00

Make yogurt....sigh...

I'm feeling a bit wry, but also stretching for gratitude today.

We have been sick, one or the other, if not all three, since late September. Not with anything really serious, just nasty, tenacious flus and colds. Ugh. Helena has been the one most persistently ill with a cough that keeps coming and going (and finally seems to be going, thankfully!), with me feeling vaguely ill for the last 4 weeks or so, and only developing strong symptoms (coughing that won't quit) this week, and Patrick getting hit fast and hard, also this week with flu. Blah.

So here's the gratitude I've mustered up on behalf of this lingering malaise....

- I'm truly, deeply grateful that in general I'm fit and healthy. I can somewhat imagine what dealing with chronic illness must be like, and I'm thankful that this is temporary.

- I'm grateful for the ability to keep some levity in our days despite the often overwhelming cranky vibe around here these days. We have had some truly light, fun moments as a family despite feeling icky that I'm grateful for.

-I'm grateful for the wealth of natural resources at my disposal that bring us comfort and healing. Growing up the daughter of a studied herbalist and otherwise naturally inclined mama has been and continues to be such a gift to me.

-I'm grateful for the flexibility that our combined self-employment gives us, especially at times like these. The freedom to rest when the need arises, and work when we're feeling more up to it (if not really raring to go), is a huge gift which I never take for granted.

And now, on to the refrigerator, which today (weekend of course), seems to be malfunctioning.

- I'm grateful that the freezer is functioning perfectly despite the rising temperatures in the refrigerator. It's keeping our more perishable, more expensive items safe, and this also indicates it's probably a fan, and not something more major like the compressor....

- I'm grateful that it's winter nearly, and cold enough outside that popping most everything in coolers is a viable short term solution.

- I'm grateful that I caught it time to salvage tonight's chicken and that it didn't happen when I had a lot more meat around, like earlier in the week.

- I'm grateful that I caught the milk in time to turn it into yogurt, for surely it's too warm to keep at this point.

- I'm grateful that we have the resources to fix this problem, even in tight times.

- I'm grateful for the opportunity to thoroughly clean out said refrigerator (okay, really stretching here!), which, less face it, doesn't happen all that often.

- I'm grateful to have learned enough to only let this issue derail me for about 15 minutes, when in the past something like this could have ruined a beautiful day. I'm back to enjoying these moment.

What are you grateful for today?
-

Soups for the Season, November 4, 2010

2010-11-04T12:08:00.000-04:00

It is most assuredly soup season here in the east...currently about 44 degrees and raining, although next week promises some sunshine and a slight warming trend.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE chili! I have become quite passionate about legumes in general in recent years, and they end up in our meals often these days. This recipe comes from my dear friend Lynn, although I'm not sure of it's beginning origins. It's fairly simple and really delicious. I like it best served over brown rice and topped with Monterey jack cheese, but the blue chips are great too.

Crock pot adaptation:

I recently served this for a party and did it early in the day in my crock pot. Brown the turkey with the onion and garlic, then add in the peppers and cook a few minutes. Then just put this mixture plus all remaining ingredients into your crockpot on high for 4-5 hours or low for 7-8 hours. Doubled, this recipe nicely fills a 5-6 qt crockpot and leaves enough for leftovers. I like to freeze some to have handy when we don't feel like cooking, or want chili dogs or chili nachos!

Rainbow Chili

1 lb. Ground turkey

1 med. To lg. yellow onion – finely chopped

3-5 cloves garlic – finely chopped

While browning together – chop the peppers then add in:

2 med. To lg. poblano peppers – chopped

1 orange bell pepper (if doubling recipe add a yellow bell pepper)

After a few minutes of cooking add all the canned stuff

1 can blk. Beans - drained and rinsed

1 can white Beans - drained and rinsed

1 32 ounce can diced tomatoes

1 8 ounce can tomato sauce

add spices to taste after sauce

fair amt. of dried basil

good amt. of chili powder

less amt. of dried sage

A tiny sprinkle of brown sugar

Serve with blue corn chips to complete the rainbow!

Soups for the Season, October 26, 2010

2010-10-26T06:49:00.001-04:00

This is a six year favorite of mine, which I've posted before. It was made for me by a friend when Helena was just a few days old. Admittedly, I have some nostalgic and warm feelings about this soup that have nothing to do with the soup itself, but others who've tried it all agree it's pretty great. I blogged about it once before, but I believe it deserves a reintroduction. If you're lucky enough to still have some fresh tomatoes from the garden (I'm not, sniff, sniff!), here's a great use for them.

Tomato Cabbage Soup

1) Finely dice 1 carrot, 1 leek, well-washed and 1/2 bunch celery, including leaves. Saute in a soup pot with 1 Tb oil and 1/2 Tb whole fennel seed. When golden brown, add 8 c. water and 1 Tb pesto, if you have it, otherwise add 1tsp dried basil. Cover and simmer 1 hour.

2) Coarsely shop 5 c. fresh tomatoes. You need not skin them. (Or alternatively, add 1 qt. canned tomatoes, breaking up the tomatoes somewhat in the soup pot). Add to soup pot with 1/4 c. canned tomato paste. Cut up 1/4 small cabbage into 1" squares and add to simmering soup. Cook another 30 min. When cabbage and tomatoes seem done, add 1/3 c. white rice and cook 10 min more. The rice really needs to go in much earlier to be done on time.

3) Season soup with 2 Tb brown sugar, 2 tsp salt and 1 Tb lemon juice. Taste and correct seasonings if necessary. Garnish each serving with sour cream.

serves 6

Of course, serve it with some good, crusty bread, maybe a salad. I have, on occasion, when hearty fare was called for, browned up some Italian sausage and tossed it in with good results. Whatever you do though, try this soup. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Finding True North....part 4

2010-10-23T14:58:00.000-04:00

Photo Courtesy of Anar Valdimarsson

There is one thing that has become abundantly clear to me of late, and that is this: The Good Life starts right here, right now, in this moment. It isn't tomorrow or next week or next year. It isn't when my body is thinner or tighter, when my house is cleaner or more finished, it's not when the laundry is put away, when the dishes are done, when I have the right job or relationship or geographical location. IT'S RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW.

I have spent much of my life working through the to do lists, whatever they were for the time, be it finishing school, work for the day, a list of tasks or goals. All of these pieces are necessary parts of life, the stuff that life is made up of. In fact, they are life itself, along with many other pieces that fit into what makes up our hours of our days.

But if we (read, I!) get some caught up in getting it all done, getting there, getting somewhere, so much so that we forget that it's the quality of each day, of our interactions as we move throughout our days, that really matters, then we lose something precious with each day that passes. Each day is rich with the possibility that I can slow down enough to savor it, to savor the moments with those I love, and those I hold on my own, no matter what I'm doing.

This is not to say that it's not important to strive for what we want and work toward it, but more that we (again, read I!) need to remember the richness in what we already have.

Recently, I stepped outside for just a moment for something, and was struck by the incredibly rich beauty of the sunset, just reaching peak. I ran back in for my camera, and was distracted by something out of place, that irritated me begged to be put away. I did so, then grabbed my camera and ran back out, and the sun had already sunk below the hills.....I had missed it. I have missed other moments as well, for similar reasons. But, if I can learn by the end of my days, to soak up the richness of many more moments without missing them, to put into perspective and balance the doing with the being, then I will consider this a life well spent.

Soups for the Season, October 19, 2010

2010-10-19T06:44:00.000-04:00

We have been eating soup at least twice a week since the weather turned cooler. I've been working my way through the deck of soup cards, mentioned here, as well as revisiting some old favorites and seeking out new ones through varied sources. I thought a weekly soup feature might be fun for awhile, so here is the first in our list of hits.

Moosewood Curried Zucchini Soup, recipe found here.

We have been love, love loving this soup....I've made it twice over that last few weeks. This one came from the soup deck, which can be had gently used on Amazon for about $8 total last I checked. If you're lucky enough to have summer squash still coming in, (and I know some of us are not feeling so lucky with an overabundance of summer squash at this point in the year), try this. It's rich and creamy while still being fairly light. I've done it now with zucchini and yellow crook neck squash with equally good results. Vegans could probably leave out the milk and yogurt and substitute some soy or rice milk with a little more vinegar too boost the tartness. I also think this would freeze well if you leave out the dairy until reheating, although I haven't tried it yet.

Serve with warm, crusty bread and a salad.Try this bread, which I wrote about here, and recipe found here, if you want to bake your own. I've been baking this bread and variations for about six months, with a break in the summer for heat, and we don't tire of it.

Enjoy!

Loving the Light

2010-10-10T09:16:00.001-04:00

Having grown up and spent the first 32 years of my life in southern California, I have to admit that I took sunlight for granted. When it's all you know, and there's just, well, so much of it, it's easy to really appreciate it. As I move into my 8th real winter here in the east, I no longer take the light for granted.

I was prepared for cold, but not for how dreary it can be here. We have a lot of rainfall here, which accounts for the lush beauty of the area. But we can also go days without seeing the sun. It took me some time to realize this affected me. I think I really noticed it a couple of winters ago, when my then 4 year old daughter began to point out shafts of sunlight that occasionally streamed through the windows on cold winter days. She would grab my hand, and say "mama, I have a surprise for you, " then pull me into the room and position me so that the sun beamed into my face. I guess I had been pretty obvious in my delight at these bits of sunshine.

I have come to really love the light as it changes through the seasons here, and I noticed it particularly as the days get shorter and shorter as we move toward winter. There's something especially poignant to me about the autumn light.

These are from our backyard, yesterday, and this morning.

The Simple Woman's Daybook, October 6, 2010

2010-10-06T05:49:00.000-04:00

Join the Simple Woman's Daybook here.

Outside my window...~ it is very dark still, we're heading toward the shortest day of the year, and it feels it.

I am thinking... ~about how fortunate I am to be able to just stay home today.

I am thankful for... ~ the happy smile on my husband's face as he walked out the door.

I am wearing... ~pj's, sweatshirt, slippers.

In the learning room... ~how to pull together our IHIP (Independent Home Instruction Plan)

I am remembering... ~ that time for rest and play is as important as getting it all done.

I am going... ~to be home on a delicious, rainy, cool day with my sweet little girl.

I am currently reading... ~regulations of the commissioner of education...more IHIP stuff

I am hoping... ~that this path we've chosen, to home school, will support Helena's ability to learn and thrive.

On my mind... ~the pile on my desk...time to get to it!

Noticing that... ~quiet does me good.

From the kitchen... ~simple, easy food today...just H and I all day and evening, and more time to play that way.

Around the house... ~contained chaos...more organizing and purging needed, but it's time for a break to breath and just enjoy the day.

One of my favorite things ~the flowers on my desk H picked for me.

Do You Freecycle?

2010-09-28T06:00:00.003-04:00

Have you heard of Freecycle? There might be one in your area.

Freecycle is simply an online group where you can post things you no longer need and give them away for free. You can also post items you want, and if someone has one to give, voila`, it's yours!

I think Freecycle rocks. We're in the process of clearing out a lot of unneeded stuff. My criteria for what I keep has gotten a little tougher over the years, mostly due to sheer need to move quickly through it all. The list goes something like this:

If I'm keeping it because:

1) It's beautiful, then it needs to be displayed, not stored.
2) It's useful, it needs to be useful now or in the immediate future (12 months or less). And it needs to have a regular home.
3) It's sentimental, then hopefully it's also beautiful, and back to rule 1. If not, then I think hard about it and decide if storage is worth it in the long run. And if someone else can really use it now, it still might not make the cut.

If it get's pitched, then here's the list:
1) If someone I know can use it, great, it goes to them.
2) If not, can I sell it? Ebay, craigslist?
3) If not, then Freecycle.
4) If not, than hopefully thrift store
5) Finally, trash...:-(

Here's where Freecycle becomes really cool. You find your local Freecycle. Google it, many are listed as Yahoo Groups. Lots of areas have them. You get added as a member. This is usually a simple approval process where you learn the rules, which are simple things like only free things get listed, and how to add your area to the post so people know where they have to drive to to pick it up.

Aha! Did you get that last line...people will come to you, and take away your unwanted stuff! They get something they want or need, and it's magically (to me, anyway!) gone!

Oh, a final idea for clearing out...if you live on a well traveled road, as we currently do, don't underestimate the usefulness of hauling things out to the curb and placing a free sign in front. More magic! We place probably 2 pick up truck loads worth of unwanted but still useful items out by the street this summer and they just disappeared. All of them!

This is especially true of things like building materials that your local resale shop won't take, but someone can still use, and would otherwise end up in the landfill (at your expense, and all of ours, in the long run).

Happy day!

Finding True North....part 3

2010-09-27T06:40:00.000-04:00

Photo Courtesy of Arnar Valdimarsson ,Öxarárfoss at National Park Þingvellir in Iceland

Small Steps....

Sometimes, when I have a goal, I can be overwhelmed by the seeming enormity of what needs to be done to get there. What I am working now at remembering, is that I only need to take the next step. Sometimes the steps from beginning to end seem clearly laid out and defined, sometimes even the first step seems fuzzy and nebulous. Sometimes the goal itself isn't all that clear.

For me, what's important is not to stop in my own head, but to put myself out there in a concrete way in the direction of my dreams. I have a very rich inner life, in that I can spend a lot of time happily in my own head. The gift in this is that I can create a lot of cool things in theory, the possible curse is that I can get stuck there and never make them reality. And then wonder why my life isn't working in the way I want it to. Once again, the theme for me is balance. To strike that balance between spending enough time dreaming of how it could be and enough time taking action to make it so.

A few years ago Patrick and I had a shared dream of working from home, home schooling our children (we had none yet at the time), and having our lives be simple, creative and sustainable. There have been a lot of detours along the path toward this dream, so much so that I have doubted the feasibility of it, and even doubted my desire for it (and I venture to say Patrick has felt the same way, at least at times). But I'm back now, dreaming, feeling more strongly that this is right for us, although some of the details are still vague. That's okay though, some are falling into place. Patrick has just left a job to work as an independent contractor in the same field, and will be working primarily from home. One piece of the puzzle has just snapped into place. Others will follow...

The next step in this path is clear...it's time to create the home space needed to support this life. We have the home, and there's just too much stuff in it for us to function well given as much time that we all spend at home. We, and I especially, as the one holding down the home-front, have a ton of sorting, selling and giving away to do before I get to really settle in to the creating I want to be doing in this home. I have been resistant to this process but it's clearly now time to push through the resistance and do the next step. And still to balance...to squeeze in some time to do the fulfilling things that keep me energized.

What is your next (or first step?)

Finding True North....part 2

2010-09-21T09:19:00.000-04:00

Photo courtesy of Beverly & Pack. Bear Lake, Alaska.

I firmly believe that we create our own reality. Recently, since I've become more aware of this and more adept at putting into practice, I'm finding more and more real life proof that this is true.

Something that occurred to me along theses lines, during my morning walk, was this: We have to own our wants, our needs, our deep desires, for them to come into being. For me this has been a process of distilling these wants into the simplest of lists, of weeding out the extraneous, distracting wants, and finding the sweet, true places where my soul resides.

It's become clear to me that what holds me back most in terms of living the life I want is the lack of belief that what I want is truly possible. And so I have told myself that I didn't want that, or wasn't sure if it was right.

I've stopped doing that, for the most part. I need to remind myself at times that what I want is possible, and I'm sometimes very afraid that it isn't. But mostly, there's the small, sure voice in me that says it is possible, and that the dreaming brings it all to life.

What holds you back from what feeds your soul?

Home Schooling: New York State Letter of Intent

2010-09-20T06:26:00.002-04:00

Yes, we're officially back to home schooling. For those who are interested, or maybe considering home schooling and wonder what's involved, here's the beginning of the process in New York State once your child reaches age 6, when education becomes compulsory.

Step One, File your Letter of Intent.

In New York, once you decide to home school your child, you have to file a Letter of Intent with your school district. This is usually directed to the school superintendent, but in districts which have a large enough home schooled population, you may have a "home school coordinator" assigned. In our case, it goes to the superintendent.

The letter is simple, just a few lines identifying your child and stating your intention to school at home. Here is the format I used:

Dear (Superintendent),

RE: (child's full name)

Age: (child's age)

Date of birth: (child's DOB)

Grade level: (child's grade level)

We reside in the (your school) District. We are planning to instruct our (son or daughter), (child's name) at home for the 2010-2011 academic year.

Sincerely,

(parents names)

That's it! Very simple! Mail or email.

This needs to be sent to your school district annually, either by July 1st for the coming school year, or as soon as you know you plan to home school, if the current school year has begun and your child is already in school.

The next step, which I believe you have a few weeks to complete, is to file your IHIP, or Independent Home Instruction Plan. Once you mail in your Letter of Intent, you should receive information about what is expected for the IHIP. My letter of intent goes out today, I'll let you know what I get back from our school system.

The next turn along the educational path????

2010-09-17T06:38:00.000-04:00

I have blogged a few times about Helena's choice to attend public school, and more specifically my feelings about it. You can find those older posts here and here. At the crux of all of this for me was really letting it be her own choice, despite my own feelings.

She breezed through 3.5 weeks of kindergarten with a smile on her face and a skip in her step. She started the first week of 1st grade eagerly, and was excited enough about it to choose to attend school on her birthday that week, when she had previously insisted that she wanted to stay home.

Then came the weekend, and Sunday evening, while we were snuggling in and getting ready for her to go to sleep, she mentioned she may not want to stick with school.

This took me by surprise, but really, it shouldn't have. I questioned her on why. Her reasoning makes sense to me. In a nutshell, she's developed some close friendships with some home-schooled/unschooled friends, which really solidified over the summer. She really likes the things she does with them. And she'd rather spend her time having more time with them.

Our agreement when she started kindergarten June 1st, was that she would finish the year, and then if she didn't like and didn't want to continue, that would be fine. She was so enthusiastic about returning to 1st grade that we didn't really revisit what it would look like to quit if she decided she wanted to. I think she knew it would be an option, it certainly always has been in my heart.

The agreement we have come to now, is that if she's feeling like she doesn't want to continue, we'll give it a couple of weeks and if she still feels that way, then she can stop going. She seems content with this arrangement, and it feels reasonable to me. She has already said once since then that maybe she'd like to continue longer than 2 more weeks. We haven't said this to her, but we also decided, if at any point things seems bad for her there, then there would be no waiting period, we would just pull her out.

We started off the week with her still attending school without complaint, but as we've gotten later in the week, she's begun to protest going at all, so much so that we're having a "sick" day today and then weekend to think on it. Then, we may just be done.

This all comes at such an interesting time for me...at this time when my values and life choices seems so much more solid and real and me , then they did even 3 months ago. I talked about about that here. One of those values is to choose from clarity, rather than reaction, and this is where we're at with this right now. Taking the time to consider the benefits and disadvantages of both situations, and really, of honoring the inherent value in each path, and then simply choose the one that feels right.

I have spent a lot of my life feeling like there had to be something wrong with a circumstance in order for me to choose not to be involved with it. I think it's a fairly common trait, to criticize that which we choose not to associate ourselves with. It's one that hasn't felt good to me for awhile though, this choice to make other people and situations wrong so I can feel right about my own choices. If I can move beyond that, and I think I'm moving in that direction, then I can approach life and people with a more truly open heart.

There has been no specific incident that precipitated this discussion about leaving school, at least not one that I can determine. There are some things that I've heard about that I'm less than thrilled with in terms of classroom management, but in all honesty, these don't seem to be issues for Helena, just stories she's relating about her days there. Her desire to leave is more a sense of there's something else that's more appealing. I'm grateful at this time in my life, to be able to provide her with this option to choose.

What I can say now from an open hearted place is that I see the hard work that is going on at the school Helena attends, and the commitment on the part of the staff there to provide a quality experience for those who attend. And I'm grateful for it. And, it may not be our path, we'll decide soon.

Finding True North....part 1

2010-09-13T09:35:00.005-04:00

Photo courtesy of PJ Hansen (Artic PJ). Norway: Ersfjordbotn, Troms Fylke.

From Wikipedia

True north is the direction along the earth's surface towards the geographic North Pole.

True north usually differs from magnetic north (the direction of the magnetic north pole) and grid north (the direction northwards along the grid lines of a map projection).

This term has been bouncing around in my head for months now, in terms of my own "true north."

I have listened to many voices in my lifetime, most not my own. I have done things that I thought I should do, based on who I thought I was. Some of it was resonant with me, the inner me, a lot of it dissonant, or just confused, as in, "is this really what I believe, or only what I have accepted?"

It has only been recently that have felt the glimmer of ME getting stronger, more sure. Many experiences and situations have contributed to this growth, this emergence of me. Nearly all I am grateful for. All have been gifts.

I have read and been told to look back at who I was as a child, to find pieces of who I truly am. This makes tremendous sense to me, resonates with me, if you will. These are the truths that stand out right now, some from my childhood and some more recent realizations:

1) I have always liked to make things, create things, and give them as gifts. I can remember one autumn being inspired to paint. I found a bunch of pieces of scrap 1' x 12" shelf ends from shelves my dad had made for us. I took them, spread newspaper all over the floor in my bedroom, and painted on them with my mom's acrylic paints. I mixed my own colors and did my own designs. I don't remember the subject matter well, mostly flowers and trees, I think, and that the colors were all pastels. I gave them as gifts to my parents, grandparents and all of my aunts and uncles. Something close to 20 pieces I created. I was about 8.

2) Living simply feels good to me, especially with regard to food. I like growing food, freezing and canning it, putting it by, if you will. In our current day, where convenience is often key, convenience foods leave me with a hollow feeling.

My daughter's small friend Rose, has been a window into my past. Rose is passionate about all things "Little House on the Prairie," and so was I. Rose is 6 and loves to dress in old time clothing, is learning to cook, likes to wash dishes for her mom (at least for now). I came upon the Little House Books a little later than Rose, but not much. And I read them over and over again and yearned for simple times when handmade gifts were all there was, and putting food by for winter was critical.

3) I take tremendous pleasure in making new things of those that are old and discarded or about to be. One of my favorite projects was rehabbing two wooden outdoor table sets. Sanding, gluing, replacing rotten boards, and eventually painting them. I wish I had photos. I did this in my San Diego days, and sold them when we moved east...made money on them too:-)

4) Family and quality of home life are key to me. My home is becoming more and more my sanctuary, and I want it to feel that way to my family, and to our guests. I love having friends and relatives grace our home, feeding them, relaxing with them. More of this in our home would be good.

5) The quality of the interactions in my life, the journey itself, are more important than the destination. It has taken me a long time to come to this truth...I have been very goal or destination oriented, oftentimes without really knowing where "there" was. The right here and now is key.

I think there's a part of me that has always known that I was this person...this person who loved home and family and simple things above all else. I just couldn't see how this could translate into making a living, in sharing in the financial support of our family. I'm still not sure how this will work, but I now believe it's possible. It will be interesting to see what's next.

Where's your true North? If this type of journey is something that speaks to you, post a comment, and a link if you like.

A Late Summer's Feast

2010-09-07T07:16:00.001-04:00

This summer has flown too quickly, been hotter than usual, and busier than I like it, truth be told. This week we all pretty much melted down from just too much and I set a serious intention to do the last week of summer (before school begins) the way I really wanted to whole summer to be. The experience of this week made me wonder if I could have captured more of this feeling all summer, had I put my mind to it, but c`est la vie.

To rest and revive, we stayed home as much as possible, celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary as a family threesome, played more, rested more, and today, I'm finally feeling more grounded and in my own skin, and I believe my other 2 family members feel the same.

Sunday evening, after a glorious afternoon working and playing in the yard in fall-ish weather, Helena and I cooked up the loveliest of meals.

I have this deck of soup cards:

The Moosewood Restaurant Soups and Stews Deck a gift from my dear friend and inspiring cook, Nicole. I have to admit, I haven't used it much yet, mostly because my menu planning has been pretty loose and these recipes have a lot of ingredients, some which aren't normal staples for us.

But Helena loves this little deck of cards, I mean, it's fun, who wouldn't! So Sunday morning, when I was asking for requests or suggestions for dinner, Helena pulled out the deck and selected the Grecian Isle Stew (I found it online at this link).

We made some substitutions...we didn't have eggplant. My mom's garden usually supplies us with plenty, but this year wasn't a good eggplant year, so instead we used an 18" zucchini, which I threw in with the potatoes. We also lacked kalamata olives (I used black), and capers, which I left out altogether. Still, it was really lovely, and Helena, who usually doesn't like many vegetables or anything with lots of items mixed in, loved this stew! I like that it used a lot of the fresh things we're still getting around here, but was warming and felt solid even though it was a vegetarian meal with a lot of protein.

She also created her own salad dressing, as follows:

Helena's Hickory Nut Vinaigrette

3 TBSP Olive Oil

2 TBSP Balsamic Vinegar

5 hickory nuts, ground

Salt & Pepper to taste

The dressing is delicious, and featured the hickory nuts we gather from the yard of our previous home last fall. I've been staring at the for awhile, seeking inspiration, and she found it!

And the easier homemade bread ever. Link here or book here.

We had the best of times creating this meal, and I'm noticing how much more invested in eating and trying things Helena is when she helps create them. I'm utterly grateful for the peacefulness and connectedness of this last week.

And now, onward to autumn.... school starts tomorrow!

The Simple Woman's Daybook, August 30, 2010

2010-08-30T05:51:00.002-04:00

The Simple Woman's Daybook
August 30, 2010
For Today....

Outside my window...the sky is dark still, and all is black. It's only 5:30 and the sun is coming up later and later these days.

I am thinking...of all that's on my list, and all that I want to do instead.

I am thankful...for these quiet moments to gather myself, feeling really scattered these days.

From the Kitchen...it's chaos in there, and time soon to return it to order so breakfast can commence.

I am going...to meet a friend, do a bit of work, then some swim time this last week of summer before school begins.

I am wearing...my pj', still summery ones for now.

I am Creating...a smoother, gentler day than yesterday.

I am currently...pondering what changes I want to make to be more of who I choose to be.

I am reading...finished "The Last Voyage of the Valentina," yesterday, haven't started anything new.

I am waiting...for things to calm down...and thinking it's probably me who needs to calm down.

I am hoping...for a peaceful, fun day.

I am hearing...crickets chirping outside the window.

Around the house...more chaos, an outward symbol of how I feel internally.

One of my favorite things...making something new from something old and discarded.

A few plans for the rest of the week: taking H horseback riding, being home a lot more. planning H's bday party.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...even spaghetti can smile, and so should I!

If you like The Simple Woman's Daybook, you can join in here

52 Projects, Week 29...weenie roast & Lemonade from Lemons.

2010-08-10T13:49:00.020-04:00

Wow! I'm so very far behind! I think I have something to post for nearly all the weeks I missed, but it will take me some time to catch up. I thought I'd start from now, and work backwards when and if time allows.

This week we built a fire ring, at the site where we lost out 60 foot pine to a wind storm several months ago. It was a sad thing to lose such a big old tree, but I liked turning it into something good, lemons into lemonade, so to speak. More about that here.

Helena really wanted to roast hotdogs over our new fire pit...a first for me. It was a lot of fun to cook simply over the fire, and will be even better as the weather cools.

Here's our new fire ring, complete with benches and chairs made from the tree that came down. In the back right of the photo you can see the enormous mulch pile from the branch and needles we had chipped up. We're starting to put it to good use.

Getting Ready for the School Year

2010-08-10T13:36:00.001-04:00

Yes, the school year. My daughter, nearly 6, will be attending first grade in just a few short weeks. Ah, me...

Still such a strange thing for me, to have a daughter in school. I, who had nearly always been homeschooled myself, and always thought I would home school my children. But she had different ideas. More about that here.

She loved her 4 weeks in school, for the most part, bounced out of bed each morning ready to greet the day, and came skipping down the hall to me at pick-up time. That should be enough for me, and for the most part, it is, for now. That she likes it, seems to be thriving in her school environment, and is eager to return.

But I have questions, niggling thoughts, although I'm really trying to let them go. The public school environment seems uninspiring to me, although I suppose it doesn't have to be, and I'm pondering that as well.

I had a interesting and lovely conversation with my little sister, homeschooled also, but 18 years my junior and just now coming into adulthood. I mentioned the recent thought I'd had about how growing up in our family was deceptively open-minded. In other words, many, unique and unconventional lifestyle choices were openly accepted, but conventionality not so much.

So, as I sit with this, I'm faced with that modeling. That I was taught a lot about what was good, and it was all fairly off-beat...so maybe not such an open minded approach to life, and that, in and of itself, is contrary to what I want to teach my daughter.

Ultimately, I don't know where this all leads, and therein lies the rub. I'm a planner, you know, and I prefer it life that way. Not that I really still suffer under the illusion that one can plan a life, but, still, there's some comfort for me in that. But then I have to laugh at the irony in this. After all, this idea that I would be a mother, and would home school my children, was a huge factor in much of my decision making for my adult life. I admit to being at a bit of a loss. But all of this will work itself out for me in time, I'm sure.

In the meantime, we had fun today shopping for her list of school supplies, and I am, with more and more anticipation than trepidation, enjoying this unexpected path that life is taking us on.

The Simple Woman's Daybook

2010-07-29T07:13:00.000-04:00

I came across The Simple Woman's Daybook while reading on of my favorite blogs, Beauty that Moves. This simple journaling exercise speaks strongly to me this too busy summer...

For more information on The Simple Woman's Day Book

FOR TODAY
Outside my window...the sunlight is filtering softly through the trees
I am thinking...oh so many things
I am thankful for...finding it easy to remain calm amidst life's storms.
From the kitchen...rather bare...shopping needs to happen soon
I am wearing...pjs
I am creating...more and more space for me
I am going...off to take H to camp soon, then to continue caring for my body by exercising
I am reading...The French Gardener
I am hoping...to hold onto this grounded calm feeling
I am hearing...birds outside my window and the sound of traffic
Around the house... manageable chaos
One of my favorite things...quiet mornings
A few plans for the rest of the week:playing with H more, more exercise!, workday tomorrow, "Lillie's Purple Plastic Purse on Saturday."
Here is picture for thought I am sharing...groundedness

OMG Yummy!

2010-07-27T16:16:00.000-04:00

It feels like years since I've posted, but in reality only a few weeks. Life has been so very full, but more on that later.

I have a quick few minutes to share a really good recipe, if you can stand to turn on your oven. For me, this is a PMS remedy, and well worth heating up the house for, but if you're not so desperate, wait until it cools off a bit and then try it.

I'm getting some work done while Helena plays with a friend, and just wanted something sweet and chocolaty, but really couldn't devote a lot of time to it. So I googled chocolate chip cookie bars, and came up with this recipe from King Arthur Flour.

Fast, easy, and dangerously yummy. Okay, granted, in my current hormonal state a block of clay with some chocolate chips would be tasty to me, but in general I'm finicky about my deserts. And this recipe is a winner.

I'm vaguely catching up with some things and hope to be back soon to post some projects and other random thoughts. Until then, happy summer!

52 Projects Week 23: no real project :-(

2010-06-30T05:27:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I must admit it...no project for week 23:-( Wisdom teeth pulled on Monday put a damper on getting much done. In a way, I guess I could say it was something of a project for me to just rest..not my strongest suit. But really, it was a recuperating week, followed by a quick weekend getaway, yay!

Not sure what week 24 be, but there are a few days left!

52 Projects Week 22: Fresh Rolls!

2010-06-22T06:27:00.000-04:00

One of my very favorite things to eat is Fresh Rolls. I first discovered them at the Taste of Thai Booth at the IthacaFest 2 years ago. Mmm....I was working a booth, and went back many times over the weekend for these.

This post, at Beauty that Moves inspired my week 22 project.

Can you believe I forgot to take a photo of the finished results? Oh well, they were really good and pretty simple to make. I already had the baked tofu on hand. We added shredded carrots, cabbage, lettuce and a mix of mint & basil. I love that combination of tastes.

I made a dipping sauce by combining a cup of Hoisin Sauce with about 1/4 cup peanut butter and 2 TBSP of rice vinegar.

Helena loved making them and became the master roller after a few tries. We brought them to a picnic and they went fast. Mmmm, really worth a try if you like this sort of thing. Also, vegan in this case (though they'd be great with chicken or shrimp too!), and gluten-free.

52 Projects Weeks 20 & 21, Paint & Engage

2010-06-16T06:17:00.000-04:00

Week 20, Paint!

I really thought week 20 would come and go without a project. It was a CRAZY week. Helena started school, had her big dance recital, had a bad heat rash. Then Sunday, everything opened up...magically.

We had to go to the store, and I FINALLY bought finger paints. I've been wanting to finger paint with Helena for awhile now, and just hadn't gotten around to getting the paints. She's really into drawing and painting, has a knack for this kind of art that escapes me, which is fine. We had SO Much FUN! And it was a soothing end on a rainy day to a crazy week.

Week 21, Engage

I have been reading this book, The Power of Self-Coaching, by Joseph Luciani. This is a really amazing book that is giving me tools to unblock some really stuck areas in my life.

One of patterns I have identified through reading this book is that when overwhelmed, I tend to pull way inwared, in an attempt to feel better, or less overwhelmed.

This hasn't not been very effective for me. I end up feeling more overwhelmed and behind in the long run, and more isolated.

So last week, starting Tuesday,I made a choice to engage. I woke too early that day after a broken and restless night's sleep, with a time sensitive to do list a mile long. I made a choice to move through that day with as much grace as possible, and to make eye contact and smile at everyone I encountered.

I also made my choice to start my day with a run (which ended up being a walk), deciding to care for myself despite the intensity of my schedule. I smiled at and greeted everyone I passed, and had this sweet little interaction with a woman walking along side me for a moment that went something like this:

Me: "What a beautiful morning!"

Woman: "yes! I'm so glad I decided to start my day in this way."

Me: "Me too...I almost told myself I didn't have time."

Woman: "So did I, and it's only a 40 minute loop, and what a way to start the day."

My day progressed in much the same way. What an amazing difference it was for me to feel tired and raw, and still stay open and receptive.

Later the in week I spoke with two people, one I was very slightly acquainted with, the other I had just met. Both poured their hearts out to me in very personal ways about some fairly intense, even tragic things. I used to wonder why people do this, talk to an almost stranger about something very personal.

I get it now. Get the need to just be heard, and sometimes it's better when it's someone who has no agenda for you, even a loving and helpful one. Sometimes we just need to speak our truths, pains, heartaches, and simply be witnessed and heard, not soothed, not fixed, just heard.

This is quite a new adventure for me...to continue to show up whether I'm at my best or not. That was an interesting thing to discover, actually, that I tend to withdraw when I'm not feeling at my best, rather than show up as I am. Time for more growing up, I think, and much less perfectionism.

Gulf Oil Spill and Efficiency

2010-06-09T22:44:00.001-04:00

At work today, while waiting for an amazingly slow computer to respond (really, it's like watching grass grow!), I picked up the June 7th copy of Newsweek with heavy coverage on the Gulf Oil Spill. I blogged a bit about the Spill and something we can do about it here.

I feel physically ill thinking about this, and have mostly avoided media coverage on it. I can't look at photos. I don't want to be stunned and depressed, I want to DO something, have contacted my salon (see above link), am pondering other ways to help.

But I digress. While reading and waiting on uber slow computer, I came across this article by Daniel Gross. I thought it was thoughtful, pointed, poignant. I loved the ending....which calls for, not extreme measures to tap resources, but extreme efficiency so we can use less.

Which makes me want to talk about my husband, who passionately teaches one aspect of this topic, building science. It's a funny story about how he got into this line of work, one that I'm too tired to relate tonight. But I'm so very grateful that he's found something so wonderful to do that he loves so much!

What he does, simply put, is teach people how to audit homes and buildings and look for ways to make them much more efficient, and also safe. It's essentially physic; pressure, air flow...someday I'll take his class so I can understand it better. But it's good stuff, and dispells a lot of myths about building techniques with hard science to back it up.

One of the neat things about this stuff is that making a building more energy efficient is sustainable in multiple ways. Less use of energy has obvious benefits, in light of the Gulf Spill and other related issues. But it's also financially sound, a win win, if you will, better for all. Sometimes something as simple as $300 worth of caulk can save the occupant thousands in heating and cooling costs over the life span of the caulk (15 years give or take).

There's so much more I'd like to say about it all, but don't really have the vocabulary or understanding yet. But stay tuned if this interests you, I'm sure to have more soon.

52 Projects, Week 19, Photo Screen Saver

2010-06-04T10:00:00.000-04:00

Recent complexity in our lives necessitated a simple project last week, which I'm once again late in posting. But this simple project is bringing me a lot of joy.

This is a relatively simple process, to set up your screensaver to scroll through the photos on your hard drive.

Click Choose Screen Saver.

In Windows XP, go to Control Panel, then Appearances and Themes.

In the window that opens up, click on the Screen Saver drop down menu (right next to the settings button). From there, selecy My Pictures Screen Saver.

That's pretty much it, except that you need to make sure that your photos are actually stored in My Pictures.

I'm really loving this! I get to see photos from the past 10 years or so that I don't often have time to sit down and look through. Everything from Helena as an infant forward, to photos of our SD house before and after, to pictures of other loved ones, near, far and some who have passed on.

Wisdom and Remembering Grandma Mary

2010-05-26T08:00:00.001-04:00

I read This post from Lori last week, and have been thinking of my grandmother Mary a lot since.

Grandma Mary died on August 11, 2003 at the age of 93. During the last years of her life she was unable to care for herself. While fairly able of body, her mind was fading. She remembered less and less over those last few years, and this was at first a very difficult thing. Grandma was frustrated, angry, very aware that she was forgetting, that she was no long in control of her own thoughts, her own home.

I had the honor, and sometimes the struggle, of sharing in her care during the last years of her life. For 3 years every week I spent the night and all the next day with her.

It was hardest during the early years, when she knew she couldn't remember and was sometimes so angry and bitter. This gave way to a more lost feeling and ultimately to a peaceful sweet place, where she knew us less, and yet somehow more.

It was during one of those times that I came to be with her, this time just stopping in to visit briefly. I was going through a pretty difficult time. Patrick had injured himself twice in the span of 4 months, and was on disability and trying to recover and finish renovating our house simultaneously. We were preparing it to rent, with the plan to move east. I, meanwhile, was working 3 part time jobs...massage on-call for the Hyatt and 2 catering jobs, and trying to help some with the work on the house too.

I was especially tired that day, and feeling like I just couldn't keep pushing through. I sat down next to grandma and held her hand, and we sat quietly that way for awhile. And then she turned to me and said "I wish I could help you. But everything is going to be okay for you, everything is going to be okay."

This was one of most lucid things she had said to me in ages, and so utterly in tune with where I was at, despite her lack of knowledge of my circumstances.

It is a memory I hold onto when I feel lost, overwhelmed, and that wisdom is far from me. It reminds me that true wisdom comes from quiet places beyond thinking, where the heart knows more.

I have so many memories of Grandma Mary, some of them funny, some of them tough, but this is the one I hold dearest to my heart, the most precious gift she gave me aside from my mother.

Hair & Cleaning up the Gulf Oil Spill

2010-05-26T06:55:00.000-04:00

I wanted to throw up when hearing of the Gulf Oil Spill. I'm sure I'm not the only now with that kind of reaction. Throw up, then close my ear and eyes because the enormity of such a disaster makes me feel helpless, and to focus on something so devastating that I can do so little about makes me feel useless and immobilized. But then I found this information.

Did you know there's a simple way to help clean up the Gulf Oil Spill? I came across this information here. Thank you Miranda!

Hair absorbs oil. Different kinds of hair. Human, sheep (wool!), alpaca. Matter of Trust is coordinating a massive effort to collect hair clippings from salons, animal owners, and individuals. These clippings with be bagged in nylon stockings and used to soak up oil from the Gulf Oil and 2,600 or so smaller spills that happen worldwide annually.

Detailed info on how to contact Matter of Trust about this is in the link below. Contact your Salon or farming friend today and ask them to get involved. You can also donate if means allow, to the fund for getting the hair where it needs to go to help.

http://matteroftrust.org/programs/hairmatsinfo.html

Thank you!

Visiting a Foreign Land

2010-05-25T02:10:00.003-04:00

Last Friday we visited a foreign land for about an hour. I was nervous about the trip, anticipating it with trepidation, not sure what to expect, not sure how we would be received. As is turned out, the natives were friendly, open, helpful, the country was clean, orderly, seemingly safe.

This country we visited was our local Elementary School. Explanations are needed.

I was homeschooled, from grade 4 on. I went to private schools through 2nd grade, a public alternative magnate school for 3rd, and then my parents decided homeschooling was a better option, for various reasons. And that was a LONG time ago.

So grade school of any sort is fairly foreign to me. And I always assumed that homeschooling would be the option for any children I would bear. Except that our 5 year old daughter annouced a couple of weeks ago that she would like to go to school. Regular school, to be precise...I offered several alternatives, there is a Waldorf based school nearby that offers a part-time program for homeschoolers looking for something different. We also have a local Montessori School whose philosophy we really like, and with more free time for me, I could work more to cover the tuition. But she was steadfast in her preference, stating in fact, that she didn't want me to "waste my money on school." It wouldn't be a waste, I insisted, if it would provide a good experience for her. No, she was uninterested.

So we toured the school, and it seemed, well fine, I suppose. Being so inexperienced with the whole school environment, I was unsure of what to expect. But I didn't find anything shocking or frightening, it was just, very, well, school-ish. And she liked it, wanted to start right away.

I should probably have anticipated this, in light of the fact that at 2 she began rejecting my clothing choices for her.

And so, I find myself, with my 5 year old about to enter kindergarten 4 weeks before the school year ends, at a bit of a loss.

I'm completely unconcerned with her academic standing. I know she's bright and capable, and very well spoken. Several days she asked me, when I was drawing a pumpkin for her to color in, if I could make the stem "dimensional," as in thick enough to color in. I think she'll be just fine.

But I have this niggling fear that her spirit may be crushed somehow along the way, that she'll lose herself in the needing to fit in and be a part of it all. And then I remember that that can happen to any of us, no matter what our background or experience. And I hope I can be strong enough to show her how to be strong and true to herself.

And that, ultimately, is at the crux of why I'm not fighting this choice of hers (although there are places in me that really want to). I don't know where this will lead us, it feels big and scary to me in some ways, and in others, rather silly to make a big deal of it at all. But I do know that her voice, tiny and mighty simultaneously, needs to be heard, and that she's asking for something from a clear strong place, and that if I choose to undermine it, then I teach her not to trust herself.

So instead, I remember that although my wants for her are many, when I distill them down, it's something like this. I want her to be strong and humane, and to feel she can thrive in whatever circumstances she encounters or chooses.

And I fall back on these beautiful words from Kahlil Gibran which I posted recently. And look forward to the adventure awaiting us.

52 Projects Week 18: Met the Neighbors

2010-05-23T07:40:00.001-04:00

After our offer had been accepted on our new home, and the sale was in progress, we got to come take a look again to take some measurements and remember what we were buying. Our nearest neighbor, just next door, rushed over to welcome us, before we were even living here. It was lovely and felt like a sign...this is the right choice, this is going to be a good place for us.

We don't have a lot of near neighbors, just one other house, immediately across the street, and another a little ways down, then nothing for a mile or so in either direction. We've waved at the neighbors across the street when we see them outside. It was November when we moved in, and then winter came, and I promised myself we'd go meet them when it warmed up. And six months passed. And at this point, it almost felt awkward to me to knock on the door. But then, I remembered leaving San Diego.

Our home in San Diego on a busy, urban street in an older area that was slowly revitalizing. Many of the houses on the street were rough, but had charm. Most began to look better and better over the 7 years we lived there. Our lives were busy, so, I'm sure were those of our neighbors. We knew the people on either side of us, but that was it. Then, in preparation for moving, we had a couple of big yard sales, and we met the whole block. What a lot of nice, interesting people we lived so near! And how sad that we met them all on the eve of our departure.

When we moved to upstate NY, I was determined not to let that happen again. In our most recent (rental) home, we lived in a sweet village and did know our whole block, and it was a great feeling.

So yesterday, armed with a loaf of this bread, we walked across the street and met our neighbors. They were lovely, an older lady and her son who lives with and cares for her. They welcomed us in, apologized for not coming to welcome us and we had a lovely chat. Doris has a great granddaughter who visits often and who is just a bit younger than Helena. And the clincher...we're pretty sure we met her in the park, miles away, this week! Her name is uncommon, and the description matches. She and Helena hit it off immediately, and Helena mentioned, when we all dispersed, that it was sad to make friends we're not likely to see again. But we never know what turns the path will take, and when we'll meet again.

I'm so glad to have taken this step, so happy to be in this sweet area with kind people, and glad to have met them six months, and not six years, into our time here.

The Flower and the Bee

2010-05-18T07:23:00.000-04:00

I read this amazing quote this morning from Mark Nepo's book of Awakenings.

"The flower doesn't dream of the bee. It blossoms and the bee comes."

This give me such chills! It is written in reference to finding love, but it seems to me that this thinking can be applied to so many areas of life. There are so many places where I yearn to be fuller, better, more fullfilled, have more of what I want. And dreaming of those "bees" is so much less affective than doing the real work of blooming. And I see the incredible power in the small places of life where I've begun to bloom...the bee truly does come.

Good wished for us all to bloom to our full potential!

52 Projects Week 17

2010-05-16T07:49:00.002-04:00

Week 17: Installed new smoke detectors.

One of the recent revelations I've had since participating in 52 Projects is that I let the minutiae of life way me down, slow me down, hold me back. Things that are often simple seem big and overwhelming when I try to plan them out in my head. More often than not, I breeze right through something that I've spend who knows how much time comtemplating, planning, and/or worrying about. Ugh!

So stop procratinating and JUST DO IT is a big overlying theme for me here. Hence, the smoke detectors.

They sat for about a month before I installed them. Because Patrick travels so much, and is often so tired when he's home, it's become necessary for me to be more handy...which I like, but have found intimidating. The ultimate installation was SO EASY

Here's the old one...I had to loosen the screws to get it out.

Here are the screws.

They lined up perfectly with the new bracket. I was partly relieved, partly disappointed, because I really want to learn to install anchors for screws...they, watch, there'd be things hanging all over our house!

Slide the bracke onto the screws, tightened them down.

Slide on and tightened the detector itself. Tested it, yes it works! Loud!

Then repeated the entire process again downstairs. I'm going out to get another for the basement, and probably a couple more for the bedrooms, although we don't use a lot of electronic items in them, so no huge urgency felt there.

On to the next obstacle (or perceived obstacle), time to blow on through.

Even the strong can crack under the right pressure....

2010-05-15T06:39:00.000-04:00

This weekend we had high winds, with gusts up to 70 mph. These winds wreacked havoc throughout the county. In Spencer, where we live recently, a large tree came down and took out 4 cars and damaged the roof of an apartment building.

In our own backyard, there was some damage as well.

A large branch from a maple tree on the property line fell into our neighbor's yard.

And one of our 50+ foot evergreens came down. If you look closely, you can see the top over to the left. The tree broke into 3 pieces.

Here's what remains. It will need to come down too.

The broken end, lying on the ground.

And, for perspective. I have pretty good sized hands.

This tree was apparently strong, with no obvious visible weakness. No rotting, decay, odd bends, or other flaws. We have others that look more fragile, trunks split into multiple tops, one tree that's defintely declining, that withstood the wind.

I started thinking about strength versus fragility in us as humans, and that like the trees, external appearances aren't always revealing. That sometimes we can prepare for the storms in our lives, and sometimes we just have to take them as they come upon us, and try to bend without breaking. Flexiblity comes to mind, and just the desire to remember that we each need to honor both our strengths and fragilities, so that we can prepare for the storms, both predicatable and surprising.

{this moment}, Friday, May 14th, 2010

2010-05-14T07:31:00.006-04:00

This moment, inspired by Soule Mama's blog. One photo from the week, no words.

52 Projects Weeks 15 & 16

2010-05-11T09:03:00.000-04:00

Week 15: Began our flower garden.

I've never had just a flower garden. I've done vegetables and wish there were time to get a plot in for that this year, but alas, it's not in the cards. Luckily, mom & dad have a big plot we can share the work in and reap the rewards...and my mom's thumb is much greener than mine. Must see if I can my my thumb against hers more often and see if some will rub off on me.

Flowers seems like such a luxury in a way, and yet, in a climate where it's cold and dreary for nearly half the year, it's become easier for me to see beautiful growing things in the warm months as more necessity.

This year, we started one or flower garden. Our neighbor has one that butts up against our property line, and it's so lovely, full of blooming perennials. The thin line of trees that create the separation created a natural starting point. I'm excited to be working mostly within current landscape, adding a few things but not changing it otherwise. Maintenance free is definitely my style.

This is about half the large bunch of Irises my mom gave me from their yard. I spread most of the throughout the bed we're creating..a few went in the front yard. It will be interesting to see how they do. We have more shade then sun in our yard, and the bulbs I put in in the fall did bloom, just a little later than average. I think Irises prefer sun, but we'll see.

The bed will hug the right side of this tree line. We started a rock border, and will add more as we dig them out of the ground...so many rocks in our upstate soil. It can be frustrating when first dig to hit so many obstacles, but it leaves a lot to build with.

Week 16: Created a master shopping list and labeled the pantry items

More organization in our home has definitely been called for, and last week I tackled some of it. Patrick has been requesting that I label the bottles and jars that we refill regularly. I know pretty much what everything is by sight, but he's got less familiarity with it all. So, with Helena's (who loves everything with letters these days) help, I printed labels for pretty much everything that needed them. Like here.

Then I created a master shopping list. This is something I've been meaning to so for ages. I'm not sure why I waited so long, it was so simple. I made categories that basically reflected the different shopping areas in the grocery store, then listed them items we like to keep on hand as staples or buy regularly. It's a work in progress, some things will be added as they occur, others may go away. And there's space to write in items I might need just this week. I have one on the side of the refrigerator, and as I'm aware that something is low, I can add it to the list.

Already, this is cutting down on my frustration with forgetting things we need, and needing to make another trip. And from a budget standpoint, fewer trips to the grocery store mean less spending, since it's easy to grab this or that other thing when stopping for the one or two items that didn't make the list.

I made this in Excel and would be happy to share if any one could benefit from my work...let's just do it once, right? You can then modify to your own needs.

Have a great week (or two, since that seems to be my frequency with getting these projects up here).

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T10:18:00.000-04:00

People around here are always referencing the time it snowed on Mother's Day not long ago. We were using sunscreen earlier this week, but today:

Happy Snowy Mother's Day!

52 Projects Week 14: workout!

2010-04-26T12:45:00.003-04:00

This is a simple one, and hopefully a powerful one. I started a workout routine, one that I could include Helena in, since we're together more than not, and also because I want regular exercise to be something she sees me prioritizing.

We have a small area in the basement devoted to exercise. Much work really needs to be done to set up the entire house, let alone the basement. 5 months in a new house isn't really a lot of time to get settled, I'm finding.

This winter I had many excuses for why I did get down there to exercise. Mainly, the cold dark weather made the cold, dark basement unappealing. But it would have made me feel so much better if I had!

So, in our small area, we have a small weight bench (still needs to be set up), an inexpensive elliptical machine gifted to us several years back by a friend, and a mini trampoline we found free on the side of the road.

We decided to take turns using the elliptical and mini tramp. I put in one of Helena's CDs which we haven't used much, Play, by Milkshake. It was great to bounce to! 80% of the music was fast and upbeat and kept us going, and it was really fun.

My mom recently told me (my mom really does know EVERYTHING, it seems), that rebounding, or bouncing on the mini tramp is exceptionally good for you, because the up and down motion positively impacts the lymphatic system. There is a lot of great, clear, easy to understand information about this HERE. I remember from massage school the discussion on the lymphatic system, which is not connected to the heart and therefore is not impacted equally by all forms of cardiovascular exercise. Massage, particularly Lymph Drainage Massage, which is an very very light form of massage, and certain types of exercise will cause the valves within the lymphatic system to open and close. Rebounding is one particularly effective form.

My goal is to do this, or, when, weather permits, another form of exercise 4 times a week. More would be great, but startly off modestly is better for me.

Happy Week!

Things that made me smile this week...

2010-04-25T10:00:00.004-04:00

and I happened to have a camera!

An abundance bell, gift from from Carrie. Ring it to bring in what you'd like an abundance of. She gave a bunch out last week at our local unschool meeting. A few great stories have already come out of these gifts. I'm currently ringing for stamina.

My redone pillows...these are 2 of the 4. I have one more to do, and one I may redo, because I'm not in love with it, but these I'm thrilled with, my favorite being the one on the right.

Free coffee! Patrick gave me these full cards from our favorite local coffee house, Gimme Coffee, easily a year ago. And into the pile on my desk they went, since we lived far enough away at the time that I didn't visit often. Monday, I sorted through part of said pile, and found free coffee for Lynn and I, while our girls went to dance class!

The endless creativity of our sweet daughter and her homemade sandal!

{this moment}, Friday, April 23rd, 2010

2010-04-23T21:29:00.003-04:00

Participating in {this moment}, introduced by Soule Mama.

A single photo from the week, no words.

Sweet Potato Walnut Burritos

2010-04-20T10:14:00.001-04:00

These are really yummy!

I used black beans instead of lentils, at a friend's recommendation. I'm going to try them with red lentils this week.

I especially like this recipe because you can make all or part of it ahead of time. I'm cooking the sweet potatoes and lentils this morning since I'm home and have the time. Tomorrow I'll assemble the burritos to bring to my parent's house for dinner Wednesday. The can also be assembled and then frozen, ready to cook. About 45 minutes if you cook them frozen.

Sweet Potato Walnut Burritos

On Children

2010-04-19T09:44:00.003-04:00

This has been on my mind, in my heart, of late. More thoughts later.

On Children

Kahlil Gibran

Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you,

And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts,

For they have their own thoughts

You may house their bodies but not their souls,

For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,

which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them,

but seek not to make them like you.

For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,

and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.

Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;

For even as He loves the arrow that flies,

so He loves also the bow that is stable.

52 Projects Weeks 12 & 13

2010-04-18T23:22:00.004-04:00

Better late than never, I say often these days! Here I am, once again, posting two weeks at once. I console myself with the fact that I am actually doing the projects, just bogging down in getting them posted.

Week 12: Homemade corn tortillas!

This project was born of my utter disgust with the corn tortilla options available locally. If you have ever lived in San Diego, or some other city where you are fortunate enough to coexist with a strong hispanic population, you may have been lucky enough to have eaten warm, soft fresh corn tortillas. If you haven't, I recommend you add it to your list of things to do during this lifetime, truly worth it. They're good absolutely plain! If you have, and compared them to the shelf stable kind, than you can probably empathize with my utter dispair when biting into the corn tortillas available to me in Upstate New York. They resemble not so much food as something that you should ship something in or store something in. In other words, cardboard.

So there I was, about 2 weeks ago, at Wegmans. I must digress further for a moment to mention that I LOVE Wegmans for many reasons, largely because they make available a large variety of foods that would otherwise be hard to find in a town of this size. Anyway, so there I was, with Tacos on the menu plan, feeling the stiff packets of tortillas. Then the inspiration struck! It was not hopeless! I could make my own! So Helena and I cruised over to the International Foods section and grabbed a bag of Masa.

It was a fairly simple process to make them. You mix in the water and let it sit to absorb, then form it into balls.

Then comes the tricky part. You press them with your tortilla press. Aha! But I don't have one. Did, back in San Diego, but never needed it, so it didn't make the cut of things moved with us. Little did I know....
So we rolled them between wax paper. Then cooked them on a dry pan for about a minute on each side. You can see below, our results were unattractive. But ever so tasty! I thought 16 tortillas would be way too many, but we had only these two left after dinner.

Going to hunt for a tortilla press.

And Week 13:

Clipped the cat's claws. This is such a silly, simple one. But I bought the clippers about 8 months ago, and hadn't done it until now. Partly because I just found them in the boxes of yet to be unpacked goods. But also because I was petrified that I would hurt her.

But she really needed it. She's 16, getting slow, and her nails are long. She's an absolute sweetheart and has never ruined furniture until now, because she uses her claws to pull herself up, now that jumping is getting harder. She's incredibly gentle which made it easy-I'm not sure I would recommend trying it on a feisty one, might be worth paying a groomer.

I watched this great video, made locally, which took away my fear.

http://partnersah.vet.cornell.edu/pet/fhc/trimming_claws

No photos of the process, but here's the proof.

Happy Week!

Oh so grateful!

2010-04-05T22:50:00.003-04:00

Just to be alive and in the thick of it all! Sometimes, especially after sitting for awhile balancing the checkbook and other sometimes nerve wracking tasks, I just need to remember.

Remember that life is so good, that I had today, and if I'm lucky I have a lot more tomorrows. That their kisses are sweet, that those purrs and meows are there to remind me to slow down, that the sunshine was bright today, that the big fat earthquake in SO Cal spared the so many that I love there, that the piles I wade through are actually smaller, that I have SO so very much to be grateful for every day. I ache when I think of the moments I take all of this, and so much more for granted. And am so grateful for the reminders (thank you Jane!) when they come, just when I need them.

52 Projects Week 11: Eggs

2010-04-04T23:10:00.004-04:00

We've had this packet of clay (Das, Air Hardening) sitting around for over a year. My mom gave it to me because Helena was interested in using it. I felt like a guilty mama everytime I looked at that package and did nothing with it...why not? Not sure. But this week, I pulled it out, we were both excited, and then Helena didn't like the feel of it, or the fact that her hands turned terra cotta colored-yes, my girl is such a Virgo!

So I had fun with it myself, and made these few eggs, in honor of spring, and Easter, and all things fresh and new.

I thought the clay was fun and easy to work with, although it definitely does harden quickly when exposed to air, so I recommend pulling out only a piece small enough to work with and keeping the rest sealed until ready to use. The bumpier texture on the PEACE egg is due to the fact that that piece had begun to set a bit already.

We're going to paint them this week, Helena is excited about this part :-)

Happy Spring!

52 Projects Week 10: Yogurt!

2010-03-28T23:28:00.005-04:00

I have been intensely reflective, of late, and one thing I have been reflecting upon, is how very good participating in 52 projects has been for me. How very right on it is, for right now.

For me, 2010 has been very much about moving through obstacles, most of my own creation. Most of what I'm pondering is still so much inside, not really solid enough to articulate. But this weekly commitment, here, has really supported this growth.

But on to the week 10 project, yogurt!

My mom has been makng yogurt FOR YEARS. Why I considered it to be at all intimidating, I'm not sure. But after reading this here, on the benefits of eating yogurt (thanks mom!), I decided it was time to try. It was so easy!

I used this product for yogurt starter, and pretty much followed the instructions inside. I did use about half as much started as was recommended, per mom, and it worked out just fine.

1/2 gallon of whole milk, heated to boiling. I also added 1/2 cup of powdered milk, which I'd read online results in thicker yogurt, which I prefer.

Once the milk is heated to boiling, you have to cool it to 108-112F degrees. 110 seemed about right to me. The cooling took longer than I expected, about an hour.

Once the milk was cool, I whisked the starter into a small amount of lukewarm milk, then mixed that with the rest of the milk.

Poured it into mason jars...we were short 1/2 cup from milk used for cereal that morning, which you can see in the jars. Then, and here's the trick...I popped in into the oven, which you can do, if you have a gas oven with a pilot. No yogurt maker required. You don't even need to turn it on, just don't forget it's in there and preheat for something else! My mom has been doing it this way for years. It does take longer than the 4 hours the packag indicates. Mine took about 10 hours. I did it in the morning and it was ready before bed.

Here it is...and one quart is already gone!

52 Projects Week 9: Lined the Cabinets

2010-03-21T13:48:00.004-04:00

As I was typing the title of this post, it hit me, that at week 9 (having joined at week 3), I've been at this for nearly two months already..how can this be?

I have kicked into serious organization mode in the last 2 weeks. Maybe it's the springy weather (oh, hooray!). Maybe it's some other change in me (lots of those going on these days), but it's really time to get this house in order!

So this week, I lined the shelves in the kitchen. We've had the shelf lining since our last move, and I pulled it out to use about 3 weeks ago. And there it sat, on top of my refridgerator.

This project was particularly important to me because we have painted cabinets, some paint is chipping off, and I'm not sure what's in the paint. The current coat is fairly recent and likely fine, but what's underneath is likely to contain lead. And it may be getting in our food, primarily on the bottom of pans and plates and rims of drinkware, so eliminating that friction was a priority.

I discovered, for those who sew, that a rotary cutter and cutting board are a great, fast way to cut the webby shelf liner stuff (technical term:-)

And there you have it, my lined shelf. I had enough for about 90% of my cabinets, and plan to pick up some more for the last few tomorrow.

On a separate note, I'm really behind on peeking at what everyone else has been working on, responding to comments, etc....but hope to catch up over the next few days.

Happy Sunday, the sun is still shining here, but threatening to leave soon, so we're off to enjoy some!

52 Projects: Weeks 7 & 8, Rice Bag and Growing Up

2010-03-15T11:49:00.007-04:00

I am a week+ late with week 7, and a day late with week 8, but here I am, just the same.

Last week, week 7 we worked on a very late gift (I won't confess just how late:-(, are you sensing the late theme in my life? ), and it was so simple, it's definietly going on our list of holiday handmade gifts. We received two of these 2 christmases ago (love you Cheryl!), hence the inspiration:

We made a Rice Neck Warmer. The kind you pop in the microwave for 3 minutes to sooth sore muscles, and by the way, they're great as winter foot warmers as well. This was so simple and fast. I took a scrap of flannel, 5" x 23" and folded it in half, wrong side out. Stiched up the long side and one short side. Then I serged the seam, but you could zig zag instead, to reinforce the stiching. At that point it looked like this:

Here's a close up of the serged edges. I want my own serger, this one has graciously been loaned to me.

And the we turned it inside out and filled it with about 2.5 pounds of rice. You want it to be full, but loose enough to bend around your neck or lower back. Then we turned the raw edges under, ironed them flat, and stiched it closed. That's it!

My week 8 project was much less tangible. I have been pondering this for awhile now (yes, I do a lot of pondering), and conversation with a dear, dear friend (if you're reading this, which I doubt you have time for these days, I love you honey!), solidified it for me.

This friend of mine and I were talking about some changes in her life (don't you just LOVE LOVE LOVE our friends for the mirrors they are for us?) and said something like (paraphrasing here, ) "I just don't want to work so hard to have people like/want to spend time with me."

My response was something like: "here's the person I want to be, am not yet, but am closer to than ever before in my life. I want to be the person who says, I'm pretty a ~~fucking~~ darn awesome person, and if you're a pretty ~~fucking~~ darn awesome person to, than we'll both recongnize that and want to hang around together, and if not, why bother."

Fairly simple (and excuse the profanity, but yes, I do sometimes talk that way), but such a revelation to me as it poured out of my mouth. Aha!

Fairly simple, not necessarily earth shattering, but wow, when I said it out loud, I just knew it was time. Time to start walking that talk. I have been anyway, but doing it intentionally is something more solid and profound. I have the good fortune of beginning some new friendships, and I'm too tired, my life is too full, for me to try hard anymore.

Time to JUST BE ME.

And to have that be okay.