News from Hawn Creek Hollow

As the barn foundation project stretches out into it's sixth month and the piles of broken concrete continue to grow and multiply, I find myself having rather negative thoughts about our little farm. Thoughts like, "This place is a hole" and "I am surrounded by crap". It also happened that our neighbors just had to get cable which involved digging a ditch all along the fence line of our western pasture- totally mucking up the place (and all this for the Hallmark channel!) Combine that with both mowers breaking down and the bleeping goat getting into the veggie garden and eating our peas, I've been having fantasies about buying a lovely home in town.

But, as I was walking from the woods after feeding the hens and I watched a Gold Finch fly over the Bay Laurel tree and get chased away by a hummingbird, I knew that I could hold on the positives. It's a beautiful place we live in- it needs a lot of work, but it will get done.

When we moved back to the Pacific Northwest, I had dreams of a 20 acre home. Ha! Three keeps me more than busy.
The goat did not eat the Rainbow Kale, which is so delicious and beautiful right now! The bush beans are growing well. I morn the loss of the peas though. Growing them the last several years has been very special because my daughters love them so much. Very rarely do any peas make it into the house. It's a beautiful thing to stand in the garden and watch your kids gobble fresh peas like they have never tasted anything finer. Ah well, next year.

Wanted: Pea Rustler- Armed & Dangerous

Let the veggies begin...

While we have had our own little veggie patch producing Asian Greens for several weeks, we are happy to have our CSA Growing Wild Farm begin their year! We are very much enjoying their salad greens, Red Russian Kale, Kale Rapini (super yum!), garlic onions, and radishes. Last night, I tried out their recipe for Creamy Vinaigrette. I usually make our salad dressing, but I have never made dressing with eggs. It was very good. And, given that our hennies are laying lots of eggs right now, it's a good recipe to use.

Creamy Vinaigrette
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
1 cup olive oil
1/3 cup Apple cider vinegar (I used Rice Wine vinegar)
1 T mustard
1-2 cloves garlic minched
1 t honey or agave nectar
1 t sea salt
pinch of cayenne pepper (I omitted)

I used my Kitchen Aid mixer, but the recipe called to for a blender. Mix all ingredients but the oil in mixer or blender. With mixer/blender running, slowly add oil and mix to emulsify.

Yum! Thanks Andre and Shelia

Welcome June- welcome home!

We are home! The deep growth and green of June surrounds us and almost threatens to grow over us if we sit still too long. But there is no worry about that as birthdays and camps and all kinds of fun things are keeping us moving.

The first bouquet of the month is a sweetheart! Lamb's Ear, Spanish Lavender, Digitalis/ Foxglove, Siberian Iris, and Bearded Iris. I'm not sure where the Bearded Iris came from as I prefer the more elegant and subdued Siberian Iris- but the big purple hairy tongued flowers have their appeal. Everything about it is sweet and lush- everything that late spring/ early summer is!

Fool

The fantastic weeks of May slip by with me caught up in a web-
a web of lead that sits upon my chest.
The web fogs my vision, but through the fabric I can see it is beautiful all around me.

It's all folly, the lilacs seem to say to me
and I know it.
Their sweet scent brings me back to the clear
and I know I can do what needs to be done.

You are a fool, the Saskatoon says to me,
so much more harsh- honest?-than her sister Lilac.
What makes you think any of it matters?
I will grow, flower and set my berries while you fitter away your hours.
The Lilac lays a gentle, cool hand on my head.

May Day

Welcome, May! May arrived with warmer weather and gentle breezes. The day was lovely. The high point for me was having lunch on the dock by the water- writing and reading and listening to the birds. Heavenly. Later, the girls and I put the new prayer flags on our special Maple tree. They look so bright and festive.
Here are some lovely violets that are growing in the woods by the Maple Tree.
I just love the collection of river pebbles that hubby brought back from his kayaking/rafting trip. So many different colors! They seem to tell a wonderful story- I can almost understand them.
A pretty, glittering beetle we found a week or so ago. It is a Golden Buprestid, Buprestis aurulenta which is a wood eater that can live up to 60 years in lumber!

Happy May to you all!

Tv Turn Off Week

For me, TV Turn Off Week was a success. That said, I should also make it clear that my children watched about the same amount of TV they always do and I did as well. So, how, you may ask, was the TV Turn Off Week a success?

The week prior I spent a lot of time wondering why I wanted to do this. My daughters watch about an hour of tv a day- and honestly I am happy with that amount. I watch maybe an hour of tv in the evening, but there are several nights a week when I do not watch anything. So, why- I wondered, do I feel such a pull to participate. After some time, I realized what I wasn't happy with was the amount of time I spend online. So, last week was all about me and my internet habits.

I checked my email briefly in the morning and then the computer was turned off for the day. I had two one-hour shifts that required me to be online during the week. Other than that, I was very good about limiting my time. I worked a lot outside- even when the weather was nasty- and it was great to re-connect with our bit of land. The girls and I kept busy and it all went pretty well (especially given that hubby was away all week).

Personally, it was nice to put away some online habits. To be honest, I didn't miss it much. It feels weird to be sitting her now. So, on that note, back to the real world (which at the current moment is washing dishes and getting ready for visitors)!

happy late birthday to me

Oooo, look what I got for my birthday! Isn't it pretty?! Well, I think so. I didn't even know I wanted one until my hubby asked me what I wanted and I blurted out, "A Kitchen Aid mixer!". (Hmmm, maybe I should have said a Mini Cooper Clubman or a trip to Hawaii...) Well, it is a bitchin' good mixer. I have made pizza dough and cinnamon raisin bread- both turned out really well. The massive thing can really knead that dough! I'm thinking of making brownies tomorrow. Not from the box, which would be a life time first for me. :P

Otherwise, I am not crafting worth poo. Not blogging much either, not that it matters. What am I doing? Hmmm, I weed the gardens a bit, I clean a bit, I exercise a bit- but most of the time I get snacks for the girls and read them books. I am playing Harry Potter way to often (I would mind less if I was Hermione but my three year old always wants me to be Aunt Marge- what is up with that?!).

Today, as I ignored my daughter's cries of "Aunt Marge! Aunt Marge!" I sat looking upward. "What are you looking at?" she asked me.
"Look up. What do you see."
"White flowers. Tree tops. Blue sky. White clouds."
"That's what I am looking at. Isn't it wonderful?"