A boy and his Chickens

Big Brother with Brahma

Was it only 3 months ago my little guy turned 4 and brought 3 new baby chicks home to live with us?
Yes. And they have grown so much together in this time.
He will sit with his chicks and feed them greens through the run.
Or he decides to take one out on an adventure.  He finds them a good spot for worm hunting and keeps close.  Umm, covering Little Red in the leaf pile was not one of the best plans...
Oh but the adventure, the lessons, and the love...

Little Red, Soma, Astra, Sammy

A Devoted Repurposer

I actually bought 12 canning jars this year and then found out that most of my family has canning jars. My mom in her basement, my aunt in her barn, and my uncle in his barn. So each trip to Prospect I get a few more.

 I took a walk down memory lane last Friday. I haven't been in my grandfather's (now uncle's) barn for years.  But it is a place of fond memories.  I share many of the stories from the farm with my boys. The story of Chocolate the cow (who I bottle fed), grandpa feeding the cats after dinner, playing in the empty chicken coop, riding on the manure spreader (only one time after extracting manure from my long locks), driving the truck in the pasture when our legs were two short and one sister operated the steering wheel while the other sister measured the gas and break (I will share this after they are 17 years old!), and the smell of the barn when there were cows, hay, and grain. There are many more stories and some of them came rushing back as we walked around the farm yard so different from my childhood, but still rich with memories.
 I guess it has been about 15 years or more since there were cows in the barn. My uncle said he moved the canning jars out about 10 years ago. But as I raked through buckets of canning jars among old straw and barn dust it seemed like yesterday that I was there. I remember taking my grandfather's soft hand and walking across the drive to the barn.  We would walk into the old milking area and fill a bucket with the feed from a big trough.  The smell of the grain is permanently present in my memories.  He then carried it into the larger part of the barn and fed the cows grain before climbing into the hay mow and tossing down a few bails.
So here I found myself, in a sea of dirty canning jars, in a space filled with memories. What does a sentimental repurposer do? Set limits, evaluate how much space you really have in the car, imagine the look on your father and husband's face when they see them, form a plan to clean them before the previous mentioned ever sees them, and last choose the most likely subjects to become clean and therefore enjoyed.

My early afternoon was filled with memories.  My late afternoon filled with scrubbing, Clorox, carrying buckets of hot water from my father's basement, and a few impatient family members wondering if I would be finished by dinner...

The jars after they were removed from the Barn at my Uncle's.

The jars on their trip to my house. The lidded jars were cleaned on a previous trip.

In my sink.

Ready to be my new granola or oat container.

These are the "new jars"  I have used for dry goods. They will become canning jars again.  My vintage jars will be used for these.

Oh, but it was well worth it!  They came clean and will be used for many more years.

I went on this canning jar expedition with the intent to have enough canning jars to donate applesauce in some.  I will use the jars that have been well stored in my pantry, my mother's basement, or by my Aunt for this purpose.  I will keep the ones I worked so hard to scour clean.  When I use them I will think of my grandparents, my uncle, and the farm of my childhood.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

"Mama, Can I just have a little taste? It is just a little raw egg."

My 4 year old loves to help bake.  Especially if little brother is busy doing something else. For this Bread pudding big brother made the whole pudding while little brother "made soup" in the sink.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding:
 2 cups bread chunks
 (We cut the outer layer off of our homemade cinnamon toast because it was very dense)
1 1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup raisins
Let soak for 10-15 minutes

In another bowl whisk together the following:
3 eggs
1/2 cup mashed pumpkin
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Then mix in bread mixture.
Pour into a shallow 8" or 9" pan.
Bake 350F for 45 minutes.

Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
One reason I hope I never need to remove gluten from my life.  I love bread pudding!

Putting the Garden to Sleep

Oh it has been a good year for green beans!
We had a solid month of zucchini, a couple good tomato salads, about 10 little perfect cucumbers and a little bit of everything else.

When I think back I had two garden goals.  Plant many runner beans and cucumbers.  My little guys are not huge tomato fans or big fans of lettuce, but they could eat cucumbers and beans every day.  I think I have tired them of green beans this season.  After a break I am sure we will love the frozen beans in our winter soups.

I cut down the green bean vines yesterday, in the middle of October and they were still growing.  For 4 months we have picked a bowl of beans every day or two. The largest beans we dried to keep for seeds.

Here is a little recap that I hope I reread in the Spring.
Success in the garden this year:
Green beans
Sunflowers
Zinnias
Parsnips
Carrots
Parsley
tatsoi
kale
early lettuce
Zucchini
rutabagas
green onions

Sad plants in the garden this year:
Cauliflower
beets
cucumbers
leeks
tomatoes
winter squash

What I forgot to Plant:
Patty Pan
Broccoli

Buy new seeds next year:
Beets
Carrots
Broccoli
Parsnips
cucumbers

Apples, Sunshine, and Secret Gardens

I have been lost in apples for a month.
I have jars upon jars full of applesauce and apple butter.
I have foraged, gathered, and picked apples and I think I will be done soon.
We picked another 1/2 bushel off the ground in our backyard today. Along with the last of the basil.

In the days surrounding our applesauce making we have managed to have some fun adventures.

Canning tomatoes, finding secret gardens with Nancy, playing in the sunshine, petting goats and rabbits, and riding a horse named Jewel.

,

Why God Gave Me a Twin

35 years ago in September my mother went into labor in the evening.
Upon her arrival at the Hospital, they decided to take an x-ray of her belly.  My parents assumed they were having an October boy, or at least that's how the story goes.
When Doctor Gray reported the news to my parents, that there were two babies in her belly, my mother's labor stopped.  The wisdom of the world gave her a little break, a small moment in time to take in the news and adjust.
At some point in the night my twin gave me a few nudges and I was born by late morning, she 3 minutes after.  We used to joke that I did all the work and she was able to just slide out.  Thus was my previous view of things.  I felt like I did so much work and yet in the end did not have what I wanted.  And she seemed to so effortlessly go and get it done.

When I forgot to write down the homework assignment, she always had it.
When we were in a new environment, like summer camp, she made new friends for us effortlessly.
When I was far away seeking my adventures, she grounded me.

I tend to go back in time and long for a time when things seemed simpler and more natural.
She picks up technology with ease and understands all that is new in the world.
Some things still seem to come a little easier for her, and others easier for me.

But now I see it through different eyes: A karmic one, you could say.

We were meant to be together, best of friends, to complement each others journey.
When we create together we succeed.  When we reflect together, we can be sincere.

Then she became a mother, once again, I felt I was not alone.
She understood what I was going through, and understood the small acheivements.
I love her child like my own and she mine.

Thank you God for blessing me with this beautiful woman who has guided, shaped, helped me to reflect, and loved me always.

 I love you Dawn!
Thank you for being you!

For your birthday: 
A tunic for you!

Good Night my Little Ones

Our bedtime routine has changed a few times in 4 years.  Beds and rooms have changed, our family expanded, nursing stopped and sometimes Papa takes over.
The things we keep consistent are the songs and verses.
They are a sweet transition into sleep.
Often, on a day that was too full or an evening a little off track, I find myself singing the songs several times.  But each time I sing them I hear a yawn and a calmness come to their hearts.

My favorite Lullaby:
Good night my little ones,
May you sleep with the sun,
And arise in the morning light,
With your hearts warm and bright.

to a tune I created.

Recently, My little guys decided they wanted to sleep in the same room.  They begged me to bring the toddler bed up from basement so little brother could sleep in big brothers room.  They were both so thrilled they "went to bed" after dinner, to pretend sleep in their new setting.  I could not believe it. That night they both slept happily in the same room for most of the night!

We read 2-3 books, say good night to our little friends (Pendy Bear, Dolls, and a Dog), tuck them in, tuck boys in, then say verse, sing songs, and I usually rub one back with my right hand and two feet with my left until quiet sleep drifts over them.

Last night, Big brother had things on his mind.  He needed to share some important things.  He had a plan for fishing and a fishing spot he needed to try.  I tried to encourage his imagination without promising to go fishing tomorrow. He also told me a change in his imaginary friend.  Anka Danka has been a part of his play for 2 years.  She is who he calls on the phone, who he plans adventures with, and who's house he dreams about when he needs to dream a bit or travel a bit in a pretend car.
He said," Anka Danka has died Mama,"
I said, "Oh sweetie, I am so sorry to hear. What happened?"
He said," She got a snake bite and died. I am sad about that".
I said," Yes, that is sad, I will say a prayer for her."
He said, "Yes, and I am going to pretend I have a new friend now. His name is Sandy- Dandy".
And then the conversation was finished. His wheels were still turning, but we were finished discussing it. He had a whole new friend to imagine and I did not want to influence it.

I then sung lullabies once again...

Later as I sat knitting I realized I needed to leave space for reflection.
We all need to reflect at the end of the day.  It is one of the reasons I write this blog.  We often review the day, but to reflect is altogether different.

This evening, I made room for reflection and somewhere it went haywire.
The boys were contemplating God!
First day of intentional reflection and they pick a doozy.
Little brother said, "What is God?" "Is he an animal?", "Is he a cloud?"
Big brother said, "No silly!  He is a human being!"
Then they giggled and continued the discussion a bit, completely stalling sleep.
Eventually they needed separated to calm down.

I am asking my angels tonight to help me with this one...
Past midnight tonight, I'll contemplate tomorrow...