home hum

chick freak-out, concert review, &c.

This is why I can't keep my bird feeders filled.  It's snowing again, and poor Mr. Squirrel is cold and hungry.  He's waiting for spring, too.

This afternoon, A and I pulled into the driveway after running some errands, and there on the front doorstep was a box.  On the side of the box were the words:  small cooler.  "What is that do you think?" I asked.  A said, "Mom, do you think it's the chicks?  Do you think they sent them early?"  I threw the car into park and sprinted for the front steps.  As I picked up the box. I felt something move inside.  "Oh, my gosh, it IS the chicks!"  I cried, "And, we're not ready for them yet!" 

We entered the house yelling, "Help! Help! The chicks are here!"  Everyone came running.  The heat lamp was quickly assembled, and since the food, feeder and waterer haven't even arrived yet, I instructed A to start boiling some eggs (in a pinch, I've read that chicks can eat mashed yolk).  S ran down into the basement to cut a piece of nylon screen for the bottom of the cage (slippery surfaces can cause the chicks legs to splay resulting in serious, life-threatening injury).  E got out the pine shavings and filled a shallow dish with water.  When all was ready, we opened the box.  S gave me an exasperated look, "Mom, you're really crazy, you know that."  The box contained the chic kstarter feed, feeder, waterer, &c.--no chicks.

Oops, sorry kids :-@   At least, we're ready for the chicks now ;- )

This cold I have is awful.  I did go to the Stevie Nicks concert last night, but I ended up leaving early. Thankfully, Stevie performed first.  I left about halfway through Rod Stewart.  The concert was wonderful.  Stevie sounded amazing, and looked beautiful, although I must say that I prefer her with curls and waves rather than her current silky-straight locks. But, boy is it hard to believe that she is sixty-two! She had several costume changes throughout her performance, but all of her dresses were black, so there was hardly a difference from one outfit to the next.  During Gold Dust Woman she wore an ethereal golden shawl that sparkled with beads and fringe.  She sang many of her hits, and at the end of the show she told a story about how she always finishes her concerts by singing either Beauty and the Beast or Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You.  I love both of those songs, but especially the second one. At the end of the story, Miss Nicks told us that she was adding a third song to her closing repertoire.  It was from her Trouble in Shangri-La album, and is called, Love Is.  Do you know it?  Like all of her music, it was hauntingly beautiful.  If you are a Stevie fan, you'll want to know that she has a new album coming out in May--her first in ten years.  The name of it is, In Your Dreams.  She has already released a single from the album called, Secret Love.  

Even though I was home by 11:30 p.m., I'm really wiped out today.  This cold has me feeling really run-down and congested.  So, tonight I'm going to curl up with a cup of hot tea and try to finish reading The Silent Governess.

yarn along wednesday

Joining Ginny at Small Things on her weekly yarn along:

I haven't made a whole lot of progress with L's Fisherlad sweater since last week, because I've been busy planning for our chicks to arrive, and designing our garden beds :- ). Everyone except hubby and E have come down with colds (including me, sniff, sniff), and there is another snowstorm heading our way tomorrow night. It was a really long winter, and I hope we are not in for a cold spring.  I will be so happy when warmer days finally arrive.  

I'm still reading The Silent Governess, which I am enjoying more than I thought I would.  It's like Jane Eyre-light, which is good for me right now, because my brain is engaged with so many other projects. We went to our Border's going out of business sale the other day, and the prices are really slashed now. Eveything is 50 to 60 percent off.  I picked up Hillary Lang's doll making book, Wee Wonderfuls, and another Julie Klassen novel called, The Girl in The Gatehouse.

I hope I feel better by tonight, because I'm going to see Stevie Nicks and Rod Stewart perform at the Garden! I've loved Stevie since I was a teen (I had several year's worth of bad perms to prove it), but I've never seen her live.  When my hubby heard she was coming to Boston, he and the children got me tickets for my birthday.  I've been looking forward to this concert for months, and now, of course, I have a cold.  Bleh!

chicken plans

This weekend my husband and boys drew-up plans for our portable chicken coop.  We looked at lots of photos and videos online, and Arienne kindly shared her experience with us.  We plan on building a coop similar to this one in design, except larger.  Here is the frame all put together in our garage, with the upper story floor in place showing where the two 1'x1' next boxes will go:

They still need to cut out the ramp/trap door, finish the next boxes, and install the roost.  The ground level will be solid on each end, with wire mesh on the sides.  This is a portable chicken coop, so we'll move it to a new location in our back yarden each week. 

The girls and I ordered our chicks yesterday, too.  We looked at Plymouth Rocks, Delawares, Rhode Island Reds, Buff Orpingtons, Australorps, Wynadottes, and Ameraucanas, but in the end we decided to get four Red Stars.  Since we have no experience with chickens, Red Stars sound like a sure bet for us. We need chickens that are cold hardy, and I like that Red Star hens are on the smaller side, friendly, docile, and are good lavyers.  We learned that they have the best feed to egg ratio of any breed, which make them an economical choice for our family.  They lay about five eggs a week, so with any luck we'll get around twenty fresh eggs each week with our small flock of four hens.  Plus, Red Stars lay all winter long :-)

But, the real deciding factor for us was that My Pet Chicken will have day-old  Red Star chicks available and ready to ship next week.  We are so excited!  Can't wait for our babies to arrive!

 

Paula Deen magic trick

These cupcake are made from a recipe in Paula Deen's book, Paula Deen and Friends.  They are really yummy and super easy to make.  In fact, her Peanut Butter Brownie cupcakes aren't from a traditional recipe.  You make them by following the directions for cake-like brownies on a boxed mix, fill the cupcake liners half full, press a miniature peanut butter cup in the middle, and bake at 350F for 18 minutes.  Transfer baked cupcakes to a wire rack to cool as soon as they can be handled.  Then, watch them disappear!  

yarn along wednesday

~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs. I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading?~Ginny at Small Things

I have to say that I am amazed at how quickly this sweater is coming together for me.  Only one more sleeve and the collar left to go!   L should be wearing it by next week  Yesterday, I ordered the yarn for my next project from kpixie, which is located here in Massachusetts. It shipped out right away, so I expect it to arrive in the mail tomorrow :-)

This week I'm planning the veggie beds and the chicken coop, so I've got my copy of The Backyard Homestead  handy.  We sheet-mulched an area of our yard last fall, and now we're thinking about building some frames for raised beds.  

Later today I plan on starting The Silent Governess, by Julie Klassen.  Have you read this or any of Klassen's other books?  She is a new author to me.  

un-recommended

I finished The Girl With Glass Feet.  Don't read it.  It's sad--far too sad to read during March.  And, it casts a spell on you that will leave you in its pall for days. 

And, snow has been swirling around outside.  We're expecting more in the days ahead.  It's quie cold. This afternoon I made maple cookies, which are better hours later than they were fresh from the oven. I found the recipe online:  Frosted Maple Cookies.  

I read a nasty thing in the newspaper about breastfeeding.  Nothing new, same old, "keep it covered, you're grossing me out," nonsense that society always parrots.  One of my daughter's friends once asked her why I breastfed.  My daughter said, "Because that's what breasts are for," to which her friend replied, "Oh, I thought they were decoration."  Argghhhh!  Will things ever change?  

Right now, I'm going to go snuggle on the couch with my new kitty, and drink a cup of tea.  

 

a spooky encounter

Over the weekend we visited the MSPCA at Nevin's Farm.  It's a great animal shelter that seeks to provide homes for a large variety of animals:  sheep, goats, horses, chickens, cows, pigs, donkeys, rabbits, guinea pigs, birds, dogs, and cats.  We really just went up there for something to do on Saturday afternoon.  We didn't expect to meet anyone special.  

But, in the cat room there was this little black cat.  S really liked her.  I told him, "You could name her Spooky." S picked her up and the little black cat sat in his lap, happy to find a friend.  She was very calm, bright, and affectionate.  S looked for her name on the little red collar she was wearing, "Mom, her name is Spooky," he said.  It felt like a sign.

Spooky had already been at Nevin's Farm for three weeks.  She was literally on death row.  Sadly, black cats are not as popular as other colors, and there were many black cats at the shelter. Spooky is only three years old. She is tiny--only 6 1/2 lbs--with a delicate bone structure, satiny jet fur, and copper eyes.  She is black from head to foot--even her whiskers, nose, and paw pads are black. (I think she is a Bombay.) We invited her to come to our house to stay.  

Spooky is the most amazing cat.  When we brought her home, she did not hide! She quietly and inquisitively explored her new home, accepting lots of pets from many hands without complaint.  

Spooky is quite conversational (like Bombays).  She talks to us with a quiet meow, and follows us around the house from room to room, a bit like a puppy. She loves the children, especially L (who is four). When L sits down, Spooky sits next to him.  We are all smitten with her.  I'm really smitten.  Really, really, really smitten :- )

Okay, one more picture ;- )

I think she looks just like Jenny Linsky, one of my favoritest cat heroines.  If you love cats and your family hasn't read the Jenny Linsky books, you really need to.

the way the wind blew

Weathervane on my neighbor's rooftop.  

This week:

:: two days were +60F = joyous, sunny afternoons at the playground

:: crocuses and robins are popping up on everyone's lawn

:: I met a pretty little year old tabby cat through our town's Feral Cat Association, who I might invite to come and live with us tomorrow

:: Jane Eyre is playing at the cinema!  

:: I saw two romantic rabbits in the garden

:: S re-desgined my blog to make it look more like "me" (his words).  Yellow is my favorite color, and daisies are my favorite flower

:: I bought a new crossbody "fieldbag" for my many adventures to meadow, wood, and sea 

:: I woke to birdsong, falling snow, rain, and sunshine on four different mornings 

:: I visited a friend and brought dinner and gifts to welcome her new baby

:: we had a great learning week, with a trip to the science museum, and lots of good literature read, ideas discussed and written about   

yarn along: creme brulee and glass feet

From Small Things:

~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs. I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? ~

I woke this morning to a pewter sky and cold rain; a  perfect day to join Ginnys Yarn Along.  This week I started knitting a pullover sweater for L.  I've only got two more rows to go before the back is finished and I can cast on for the front. The pattern is Melanie Goodfellow's Fisherlad Guernsey.  I'm using Knit Picks "Comfy" worsted in creme brulee, and it is buttery soft.  This is the first time that I've used this yarn, and I love it!  I will definitely be ordering more.  

I'm reading The Girl With Glass Feet, by Ali Shaw; a very unusual story that has really captured my imagination.  The story has a dream like quality, somewhat like a fairy tale set in modern times. The tone is dark and foreboding, as it is in all good fairy tales.  Without giving too much of the story away, it is about a young woman named Ida Maclaird who has developed a strange affliction:  she is turning to glass.  She returns to the island where she last went on holiday, for it was there that she met a man who told her about glass corpses he found in a bog.  At the island she meets Midas Crook, a solitary young man who is more comfortable behind his camera than with people.  Midas finds himself drawn to Ida, although it frieghtens him, and he feels compelled to help her.  Publishers weekly calls the book both love story and dirge. So far, I call it magic.  

day at the museum

 View across the Charles River from inside the museum.

This morning we drove into town for a half-day visit to Boston's Museum of Science. At breakfast we studied the museum map.I told each of my children to choose just two or three exhibits that really interested him. We arrived at 10:00 a.m. I gave everyone a pad of paper and a pencil and set them loose. Their objective was to make a list of things they learned, and a list of things they wanted to learn more about.  

L was interested in giant insects:

 space exlploration (that's L inside the capsule):

dinosaurs:

 and the moving sculpture/ball machine:

We left at noon, came home for lunch and compared notes.  So many, many fascinating discoveries! It was revealing to see what each of my children recorded--so different in what captured each of them. Z wrote down facts about a prototype automobile and the weight of a dinosaur compared to its fossilized remains; E wrote about human reproduction; and A recorded population stastics like, "every 8 seconds someone is born in the United States."  

Fun stuff, this learning together!

 

shaken

Bush Warbler--a common springtime bird in Japan. Photo borrowed from this website.

I woke up this morning to snow falling gently and robins singing.  I ate warm buttery raisin toast and sipped hot tea.  I helped E with math and read a paper that Z wrote about the invention of the telephone. I filled the bird feeders, worked on L's yellow sweater, folded laundry, went grocery shopping, talked to a friend on the phone...

And, all day I thought about Saty, Nori, Tatsu, and Yasuyo, our friends in Japan.  I thought about what their day must be like:  waking to a lack of water and no electicity, getting dressed and eating breakfast together as if it were a normal day, when tens of thousands of people are dead and missing; of having your heart pound in panic each time your mind wanders back to the moments when the earth shook violently; feeling amazed when you see a bird singing on a branch outside in the sunlight; and wishing that it would all just go back to the way it was before the entire country moved eight feet and the Earth shifted on its axis.

I can't get my head around it.  

 

lenten thoughts

The Gospel reading today was Matthew 4:1-11, about the temptation of Jesus.  Father John said, "We're tempted when we're hungry."  

When we're hungry we're likely to reach for anything.

Father John said that it's foolish to give up putting sugar in your coffee, or to give up sweets for Lent.

Lent is not about giving up, so much as it's about looking up--and in. To practice Lent, we look at ourselves and ask, what is the one thing that is holding me back from the life God wants me to have in Him? And for forty days, we practice letting it go.  

By the time we reach Easter that temptation is gone...and we are, miraculously, more full.  

 

baby love

 I   knitting baby things.  A friend of mine just gave birth to her third child--a girl.  My go-to baby sweater pattern is an online freebie, Seamless Yoked Baby Sweater, designed by Carole Barenys.  I knit this sweater in a cotton blend worsted weight yarn, to fit a baby six months to a year old.  It took me a week, but a fast knitter could knit it up in a couple of days. 

I wasn't really crazy about this yarn (I wanted to use Brown Sheep's Cotton Fleece, but my LYS didn't have any pinks, and I didnt have time to wait for shipping), and now I wish that I had chosen wool rather than cotton, as it would have made my tension problem less apparent.

I have been trying to correct my tension for several months now, without much success.  I have taught myself three different ways to purl in an attempt to prevent my tendency to "row out".  I've also tried Combination knitting, and using differnt size needles on purl rows, but my problem persists.  Do any of you knitters have advice for me?   

no guilt parenting

My last post may have left the wrong impression.  I want to fix that.  

I don't think children require any special materials in order to grow and learn. What they need are caregivers who give them lots of time and love. That's it.  

Children who don't watch television or play with plastic toys do not grow up to be smarter or kinder than children who do.  It's LOVE that nurtures a child's heart.  

A child doesn't need video games to learn and grow.  So, if you don't have money to buy them, don't sweat it.  But, a child who has lots of video games will also learn and grow.  You are not a bad parent if you allow them.  (My kids have LOADS of them!)  

A child can be entertained for hours by a cardboard box.  The same child can also be entertained by Barbie dolls and G.I. Joe's.  My kids have ALL of these things, and I am not ashamed of it. 

In my previous post, I tried to create a list of common, inexpensive materials that are available to most children in most households.  Children need a minimum of things, but they need lots of love. However, having more things won't hurt children etiher. 

There is so much that parents need to truly be concerned about in raising children, but worrying about things shouldn't be one of them.  Whether I let my daughter play with Barbies or not doesn't make me a better or worse parent.

And, that's what troubles me.  I sometimes sense an ugly competitiveness among parents these days. Aren't we all in this together?  Aren't we all trying to make the best choices we can for our kids?  Wooden toys may makes sense to you, plastic ones may make sense to me. There is no bad or good involved. Toys aren't evil.  But, the way we treat each other, well...

 

childhood necessities

Ive been thinking about what children need in order to learn and grow:

• love, warmth, and security
• freedom to explore
• freedom to try
• trust from their caregivers
• time...lots of time
• quiet and peace
• moments of solitude
• conversation, conversation, conversation
• outdoor play / encounters with nature
• touch / affection
• new places and experiences
• stories, songs, and poems
• pictures to ponder and talk about
• understanding 
• gentle instruction
• realistic boundaries
• something to love and care about (a pet or "lovey")
• rhythm:  daily, weekly, and seasonal
• wholesome food
• sleep
• freedom to imagine and get messy
• support for their ideas
• connection to Spirit

I've been talking to Brandy, who has a great post about children and "things", which has made me think about my five children and what materials have been really valuable to their growth.  Here are the material items that I think truly aid the development of children (note that many of these items are already in most homes or can be made, while the rest are fairly inexpensive):

• access to safe kitchen items:  pots, pans, wooden spoons and bowls, measuring cups and spoons
• water to splash in, measure and pour
• a little table
• crayons, pencils, paper, scissors, glue, and watercolor paint
• tape
• playdough, rolling pin, and cookie cutters
• blocks
• balls
• soap bubbles
• playsilks, old baby blankets, or cloth scraps for pretend play: capes, forts, tents, etc.
• a simple soft doll
• small objects to collect and sort (beans, macaroni, buttons, pebbles, seashells, beach glass, acorns, pine cones, feathers)
• stuffed animals
• tape
• bicycle
• jumprope (I buy a length of rope from the hardware store, cut it to length and knot the ends)
• little people (wooden peg people are really inexpensive and can be painted)
• child size tools: shovel, pail, rake, broom, mop (older kids love screw drivers, hammer, wood and nails/screws)
• did I mention tape?
• appliance boxes (always save them until they are loved to the point of disintegration)
• sand 
• books

That may seem like a long list, but take a look at it again--how many of these things are already a natural part of your home and life?  Of course, every child is unique. Your child may require a longer list or a shorter list.  

In thinking about the needs of children, I also thought about what children don't need:

• critics
• punishment
• unrealistic expectations
• electronic anything
• lots of organized play/lessons
• constant direction
• early academics
• uninvited teaching
• judgment 
• being pushed to perform
• junk food
• noise 
• inconsistency
• ridicule
• harshness
• parental over-attention or inattention
• anxiety
• products marketed to them (licensed toys, food, etc.--we should all fight to make this practice illegal in our country)

 

melt

I am amazed at how fast the snow has melted.  And, look--the swans are back!  We walked around the pond today and saw grackles, red-winged blackbirds, robins, and Canada geese, too.   Spring is begiinning to seem possible.  

spring haiku:

snow melts, soft grey ice

here come the Canada geese

splash-land into spring

 

maple cream cake

Sunday's Globe magazine featured maple recipes.  Today we made the recipe for a maple cake that was submitted by the kindergarten teacher at the Waldorf School of Lexingion.  We all really liked it. However it calls for a cup and a half of maple syrup, so unless you have your own source for maple syrup, it's rather expensive to make.

Leah Palumbo's Simple Maple Cream Cake

Buy a pint of cream, and you’ll have 2½ cup left after whipping the 12½ cups for the cake. Just before serving, whip the remaining cream with about 3 tablespoons of maple syrup and top each piece of cake with a little dollop.

Butter, for the pan

Flour, for the pan

3 cups all-purpose flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder

1½ teaspoons baking soda

Salt

1½ cups heavy cream, chilled

2 large eggs, beaten

1½ cups Grade B maple syrup

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Set the oven rack in the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 13-by-9-inch baking pan, tap out the excess flour, and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt. With a hand-held or standing mixer, whip the cream until it holds firm peaks, about 2½ minutes. Add the eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla, and beat to blend. Add the flour mixture and beat until wet and dry ingredients are just incorporated (do not overmix).

With a flexible spatula, scrape the batter into the baking pan, smooth the top, and bake until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean and the edges of the cake begin to pull away from the pan, about 45 minutes. Place the cake on a wire rack, cool to room temperature, cut into squares, and serve, topped with maple whipped cream, if desired.

reality removed

I removed my reality check post.  I'm sorry, it was just a little too real :- )  

And, there was the possibility that someone might be able to figure out where we live, which could be dangerous.   

other people's lives

I spent this morning following blog trails--do you know what I mean?  A link in one post leads to a new blog and then another. At first it was a delightful romp, but the farther I followed this rabbit, the more my thoughts became entangled by thorns and briars.  

For the most part reading blogs enriches my life by exposing me to new ideas and encouraging me to try new things.  But, sometimes they make me feel so woefully inadequate, that I want to cry.  

More than one blog I followed today featured women who are skillful photographers, sewers, knitters, painters, bakers and cooks.  These ladies have five or six kids, homeschool, always have a lovely read-aloud going, grow their own food, raise chickens and sheep, make something lovely and noteworthy everyday, create beautiful family celebrations and holidays, write books, post on their blogs regularly and often, have Etsy shops full of beautiful handmade items, and of course, their children only play with toys made from wood and natural fibers...

I am amazed by what they are doing.  And, I am a bit undone by it, too.  

They are bright stars.  No matter how hard I try, I will never be able to shine like them.  It is a struggle for me just to shine at all.  :- )