Life With The Crew

Nesting Required

So obviously, along with everybody else in the world, we have been spending more time in our "nest".  We are fortunate in that not too much has changed in our day to day lives.  Business, yes, that is another problem.  But as far as what the little babe and I do each day, as of now we have been able to maintain a somewhat normal routine.  That could change any minute, so I am thankful for it today.  Since so many people are not working, there are many more people in "our" woods areas which we usually have to ourselves during the week.  So we discovered a new trail in our attempt to be alone and it has become a favorite.  It ticks all of our boxes - not far from home, easy walking, secluded, different types of habitat, bridges, bogs, and a beautiful stream.  

As much as our lives are still "normal", the dinner talk still involves the C-word and it is difficult to discuss the reality without letting the fear become overwhelming.  I have never been a parent that tries to hide the realities of life from my child.  There has never been any "rainbow bridge" talk or taking an animal "to the farm" when one of our pets dies.  When we see a dead animal on the side of the road, we talk about the cycle of life.  And so she is aware that people are getting sick and dying from this invisible thing that we cannot see.  I tell her that I will do my best to keep her safe, but that we JUST DON'T KNOW what will happen or when this will end.  I will not sugar coat reality.  And so to balance the fear and stress, we will keep doing what we always do, as long as we are legally allowed - we will go into the woods, we will appreciate the beauty around us, we will explore, and be thankful.  And if, when, that freedom is taken away, we will immerse ourselves in good books, eat plenty of baked goods, and still be thankful.  

This too shall pass.  We just don't know how long it will take.

Smile.

And so it is now Spring.  Friday, March 20, marked the day officially and we have been seeing signs for the past couple weeks - bird activity (my count for the year is up to 35 different species), wood frog "quacking" and eggs, daffodils and crocus blooming, and the chickens laying in full swing.  The backyard is now more green than brown and I cleared several of the garden beds and planted lettuce seeds.  Today it is snowing and the little babe is in the backyard with her trusty plastic red sled.  She just brought me a delivery of two fresh chicken eggs.  I can see a male and female cardinal claiming their territory in the apple tree - I believe they are setting up house in the large yew bush nearby.  The Lenten roses are holding strong, their sturdy pink blossoms bowed, but not broken. 

And so I am now another year older, which means I probably have another line beneath each eye, maybe another gray hair that I didn't notice because it is not just one or two anymore.  I am okay with that.  Life is good.  Yes, and I will say that again because I think it needs to be said more than ever in this time of fear and worry.  Life is good.  Not that I haven't had my fair share of panic and stress, and please don't think that my life is just walking in the woods and playing with horses - my husband and I currently have Airbnb properties sitting empty and the beginning of the month mortgages coming fast - but there are still so many good things in each day, so many things to be thankful for.  I am glad to be this age, I am glad for this life.  

Take care of yourselves and don't forget to smile today.  Look in the mirror while you're washing your hands and smile.

 

 

Bedroom Owling

Last night I heard the familiar sound of the Great Horned owls.  They were calling outside in the darkness around 1:30 am.  For the past several Winters, I have heard them; in my half wake state I hear the soft haunting sound drifting into my sleep, then I smile as I realize what the sound is.  Owls!  After the close deeper male's call, I wait to hear another quieter high pitched one in the distance and luckily (for me and the owl), someone answers.  The two call for about 30 minutes, the distant call getting closer.  They are making the familiar, "Hoo-h’HOO-hoo-hoo" sound.  Then when they sound as if they have met, there are several quieter and quicker, "hoo-hoo-hoo" phrases.  

After a while, a car drives by in front of the house and I hear a bus in the distance.  It always amazes me that even in the midst of suburbia, these wild secretive creatures are going about their lives.  Where are they during the day?  Perhaps right over my head, perched in one of the towering spruces or pine that we have on our property.  I always think they look like perfect owl trees.  According to the Cornell All About Birds website , Great Horned owls are numerous and can live in almost any territory - desert, forest, coast - and suburbia.  I love that there are two of them; they supposedly mate for life, so there is a strong chance that these are the ones I have been hearing in Winters past.  My own resident Great Horned owls.  This is a really good article about Great Horned owls.

Earlier today we headed out to a local state park to do the 3 mile lake loop.  We did the loop, but there was no lake.  It has been drained in preparation for dredging.  Not the prettiest sight, but pretty interesting to see the natural streambed.  As we trudged up the first hill (I was walking, the little babe was trudging), we caught a flash of dark and light - we had disturbed a Bald Eagle from his perch on the hill.  We watched him circling and I was so thankful to be where I was at that moment, with my daughter beside me in the middle of the day in the middle of the week.  My husband recently bought me the book, The Call of the Wild and Free by Ainsley Arment.  Apparently I had it sitting in my Amazon account.  I don't normally read parenting books; I have never cared what other people have to say about parenting - I have always figured that children have survived for a long time now without (or despite) the latest "expert" advice and I should know best what is right for my child.  So far, the book is not offering any new insight, but is a pat on the back, encouragement, for the way that my husband and I have chosen to raise our daughter.  Homeschooling our way is not weird.  It won't mess her up or set her back.  What it will do is widen her world, expose her to so many things that she would miss while she was sitting in a school building.  As I said in my post earlier this week, being "wild and free" doesn't mean that we spend all day in the woods, but to me it means that my daughter's mind and body has the opportunity to run Wild and think Freely.  That might happen in the woods, when she is cruising on her bike, or wandering around the backyard doing whatever it is that kids do by themselves when they are creative playing without instruction.  

I hope you can find time to be a little wild and free - it is good for us adults too!

August Goodness

I haven't done a Thankful Tuesday post in forever; just too much in life going on to post on a regular schedule.  Rain is falling right now, the roasted tomato and garlic soup is ready for dinner, I cleaned enough for the day, and the little babe is at the farmers market with her father.  So I have a couple of minutes to give thanks.

~A Sunday morning trip to the barn for the whole family.  It was a great morning for riding outside and I am only comfortable doing it if I have another adult with me.  I am thankful that my husband is willing to come along.

~Time with my Mom.  I'm thankful she is willing to make the drive up and over the mountain to see us.

~Hummingbirds!  We have a pair of Ruby Throated Hummingbirds that have been visiting our yard everyday and I don't tire of seeing them.

~Joe Pye Weed!  This Pennsylvania native plant is awesome and if you don't have any in your yard and you are interested in helping out pollinators or just getting a close-up view of butterflies, you should definitely plant some!  I have one bush that has gotten bigger every year and is now five feet tall.  It has been absolutely covered in bees and butterflies of all sorts.  Last evening there were three Monarchs and one Easter Swallowtail having dinner along with about twenty bees.  It is a pretty dusky mauve color with burgundy stalks and green leaves - I love it!

(This is been a hangout spot of the hummingbirds - they like the Bee Balm and then perch on the wire fence.)

(Little lady, gentle horse.)

(These smaller dahlia blooms have been a big hit with the bees also.)

Summer is still here, let the goodness continue!

The Little Things 3.3.19

For those of you who have been following my blog for a while, you know that I used to do a weekly post called "Thankful Tuesday", where I listed things that I was thankful for.  We all have so many things in our lives to appreciate, even when life seems to be just plain tough and everything is wrong.  Everything can't be wrong - there always has to be something good.  I did not intentionally mean to stop writing that post, it just kind of happened.  I was blogging sporadically for a while, not feeling the desire to sit in front of a computer, and so it just stopped.  This morning, while I was cleaning the sink with a brand new white sponge (bear with me here), I smiled to see the clean white enamel, the antique wooden mirror, and wood walls.  Nothing fancy, nothing new (except the sponge), no excess stuff, just simple things that were in their place and clean.  Just little things.  And so I thought that I would start writing a post called "The Little Things."  I won't commit myself to writing on a particular day; I will just write when I feel inspired, when some "little thing" makes me smile or give thanks.  As with Thankful Tuesday posts, I would love if you readers would join me by sharing in the comments section, if you feel inspired yourself.  And so my Little Thing for today:

This is a Yellow Birch, also know as Swamp Birch or Golden Birch.  On our Saturday adventure along a stream, we discovered several of these beautiful trees.  The peeling bark just begs to be touched.  The day had been overcast, but during our outing, the sun started shining.  As we walked back along the stream, this Golden Birch was practically glowing in the light.  True beauty that made us pause and admire in the middle of the Winter forest.  

So how about you?  I would love to hear about a Little Thing that made you smile recently.

Thankful Tuesday - 12.11.18

Today I am thankful for...

~a lovely weekend with my family.  

~a fun morning with friends.

~unexpected gifts.

~woods to roam and play in.  There is just something good for the soul to see a child running around the woods, unafraid and comfortable with their surroundings, immersed in creative play.  There has already been a request to go back today.

 

It's Thankful Tuesday Folks!

I am thankful for the fact that on a cold drizzly day in November, with 5 inches of dirty melting snow on the ground, I did not have to go anywhere.  It was a pajama day.  After reading about candle making in our morning book from Little House:  The Charlotte Series, we dug out the beeswax and molds.  When the hand dipped tapers weren't turning out very well (you need a deep pot for dipping), we turned to the molds that we've had since we sold candles year ago.  We combined bayberry and beeswax and added frankincense essential oil.  Several pine cones, evergreens, and a turkey later, we felt pretty productive.  All of the candles came out of the molds cleanly, but we did have two wicks pull completely through the candles (so the turkey is just for looks).  One of the small trees burned nicely during dinner.  It is nice to have a candle burning on a dark night.  

I am also thankful that the little babe loves being read to, because when the going gets tough, the frustrated mother grabs a book.  The Horse Diaries are fantastic books - we learn about history, different cultures and different time periods, and horses.  We both really enjoy them.

And tea parties.  Even though I get annoyed sometimes when I am trying to get things done, the little babe loves a good tea party.  And really, we should all be able to find 15 minutes for a civilized conversation over fine chocolate and home baked cookies.  So I am thankful for tea parties.

What are you thankful for today?

The cards are leaf prints that we did with simple acrylic paint and construction paper.  It was a bit messy, but we both enjoyed doing it while listening to an audiobook.

 

Recent Images

~A surprise ladybug in late season dahlias.

~A baby bonnet and a new skill - making I-cord!  I have avoided any project with I-cords because I thought it sounded scary.  Oh, silly me, it is SO simple!  The pattern is the Feathers Bonnet, but I couldn't figure out the feathers pattern for some reason, so I decided to make this heart pattern instead.  The pattern is clear and simple to make; I am ready to start one for my own bigger babe.

~Homemade yogurt from local raw milk.  Thanks to the husband and to the farmer.

~Pictures from a blustery picnic day.  We left the normal path and ran down the far side of the dam.  The grass had just been cut, it was sheltered from the wind, and apparently the hill was begging to be rolled down.

~Ladybug love.

All good things.  I have fallen out of the Thankful Tuesday routine, so let's call this a belated Thankful post for this week.  What are you thankful for today?

 

The Joy

Today I am thankful for the pure joy that I see on my daughter's face as she runs across the beach, legs racing, face illuminated by the sun as it sinks behind the tips of the hemlocks.  I am thankful that at the age of almost-six, she finds joy in rolling in the sand, tiny grains sticking to her damp body.  I know the sensation and it makes me cringe, yet she does this over and over, a huge smile on her face.  I am thankful for a quiet place in the woods where she is free to frolic through the stream, water droplets soaking her dress, her looking at me questioningly to see if I am upset, and when I tell her it is okay, just take it off, her face lights up with joy.  Although she is only almost-six, she has worries, stressors, adult things she shouldn't be thinking about, but does.  And so these moments when she is simply a kid, simply enjoying moving her body because it just plain feels good, smiling because she is simply happy, are what make me happy, are what bring joy to my heart.  I want her to have more of those, because the almost-six sounds pretty strange to me.  Where did all the days with my little babe go?  She is still my little babe, curled up in bed at night, but she is also a fast talking, smack talking, Uno player with her Dad.  She can lay in bed and listen to me read for over an hour, then debate the end of the story with me.  I am so thankful I was able to give birth to this little girl, almost-six years ago.  I said my mantra and sent my prayers that were not prayers out to the universe, to someone, something, somewhere, to let me have a healthy happy little girl.  And I got her, tantrums, attitude, frilly dresses, poetry maker, story creator, cat lover, chai drinker, perfect little babe.

I am so thankful.  Happy Thursday.  Look for the joy.

 

August at the Arboretum

We made a quick trip to the Arboretum in the middle of the day.  Not the best time for taking pictures; the sun is way too bright.  I love the Japanese Anemone (pictured above) and the lotus flower - isn't it crazy with that big sturdy seed pod in the middle?  The hydrangeas are always amazing there, so many different types.  It is a really bad garden year on the home front here.  Focusing on the positives, we had a lot of red raspberries, our potatoes are doing well, plenty of basil pesto is in the freezer, and we have a lot of cherry size tomatoes.  I'm thankful for the couple of things we do have.

What are you thankful for today?