Friday, June 27, 2014

{this moment}

A special moment I want to remember. 
Please share a link to your moment in the comments. 
Great Grandma Nancy and Maria ::  Wisconsin 

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Here Is A Foo In The Sun

I miss this fellow. His polka spots, and curly tail, his flop butt, and wake up calls.
Alex. Alex, give the Foo some love, from me. And Alex, I miss you, too. I am sending you love. Love from Wisconsin, so it's cheesy and good.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

A Little Free Seed Library






I let our cilantro flower, then go to seed. Besides loving the leafy greens, in soups, in guacamole, with an omelet, I love the seeds in cooking. Coriander. I use it in soups, tamales, as taco seasoning. I grind it, and just imagining the smell makes me wish I were home to make a big pot of albondígas.

Maria and I sat together in the barn and saved seeds. William sat with us. We talked about everything from seed libraries, to Incan potatoes, to Johnny Appleseed. Did you know? His apples were small and bitter, not planted for fresh eating, but to ferment for liquor. That's right, the dude was a drunk hobo gardener, and personally, I think it's rather endearing. By the way, better not quote me on the "hobo" bit. Our apples won't be cider, but I do like the idea of sharing seeds, and I may start by putting some of the cilantro seeds in the Little Free Library. Some for cooking, some for sowing, and some for sharing. Plenty to go around.

Monday, June 23, 2014

Five Good Things











Our Anna's apples, and Golden Dorset apples are ready for eating, for baking, for sharing... for picking! But how can eat all of them before we leave for Wisconsin? Alex will be here, but that's too many apples for one man, and we'd feel deprived if we couldn't fill ourselves silly with our delicious little apples. Naturally, I turned to the Internet for answers. And searching "saving apples," I found a link to a helpful guide for storing the best apples, so they can last for months. We'll be happy if they can keep for a few weeks... long enough for us to get back to them, and bake, and feast, and share. Maria and I carefully harvested the two varieties, even taking care to separate them: If one stores better than the other, it will be good to know for future harvests. Any with bumps or bruises we can make into apple sauce, today. {Have I packed? Are the tickets printed? Did I make the list of every important thing that must get done asap?? No. Okay. Make apple sauce.}

Our tomatoes are looking good. There will be plenty, and I cannot wait to enjoy those wild goat horned tomatoes! All the tomatoes, growing everywhere in the yard, are volunteers, and they fare far better than any I have ever planted myself. There are pomegranates in the tree! I am trying not to count them, but I cannot deny I have high hopes of eating those sweet gems this fall. And our white fig... the stick I planted when we moved here, it's big, and full, and loaded with fruit. We won't miss the harvest of those lovelies.

Somehow, I cannot bring myself to pack, to leave. I love my Bird House, the garden, the goats, chickens, children in the yard, Legos on the dining room table. Nothing piques my earnest wish to get things in order, play, create, dust, sort, toss, and harvest, plant, and make myself at home, like knowing that I am leaving. Everything is in good hands, I know. And we have thunderstorms, and family, barns, and cornfields to look forward to. Really, there's no reason to feel hesitant, right? Next week, I will lament our departure from Wisconsin, and look forward to life in our Bird House & Barn.

Good Things...

1. Aunt Becky and Grandma Eunice hold the keys to their new home, in Oregon, and unpacking will commence at any moment!

2. My father-in-law is recovering remarkably well from the stroke he suffered in the spring, and he is getting much deserved recognition for just a few of his many accomplishments in the cycling world! Ride on, Pee Oui!

3. We went to see Bambi's last ballet recital... she began dancing in kindergarten, and Sunday she danced one last time with her class. There was a lot of beautiful dancing... and Bambi's solo was the best.

4. With Alex here, to defend the homestead, I have no worries... but I do wish he were coming with us.

5. Our flight leaves much later than I thought. {All this time I was dreading an O-dark hundred departure, but then I saw it's a late morning flight! It's like holding a winning ticket!!}

Are you holding a winning ticket? What's good, great, pleasing, satisfying, or dear?