Joe + Levi + Indigo + Molly

Rainy day

2012-03-03T13:19:00.003-05:00

Gonna get you, Daddy!!

Rainy day, dreamaway

Dogwoods starting to bloom

On the porch swing

Out the bedroom window

Golden Brothers & a little number crunching

2012-03-02T13:31:00.002-05:00

In this new 'farm building' phase of our lives, a local store we love to stop by is Golden Brothers Feed & Seed in Thomasville, Ga. It's a Mom & Pop place (literally the same couple is always behind the counter) with great customer service & everything we could possibly need and more. This week it's: more seed potatoes, chicken starter feed, bone meal, wheat straw, carrot seeds, and cottonsead meal.

The one thing that makes it really stand out to me is the bulk bins. I love the concept that no matter how much you buy, you still get the same price per unit.

So this is the number crunching I love... today I paid 50 cents for a 1/4 ounce of carrot seeds at Golden Brothers (in bulk). The delight in this is: in all my seed catalogs, for the same amount, I would have paid $15.

Potatoes. We've paid a total of $6.25 for seed potatoes. If the resulting 80 plants make even a pound each, we'll be paying about 8 cents a pound for organic potatoes!

Smoke in the woods

2012-02-26T20:11:00.002-05:00

I love smelling woodsmoke drifting through the air this time of year, and I'm grateful for the wonderful ecology it perpetuates (the understory in a longleaf pine forest is the most botanically diverse north of the tropics, and utterly dependent fire-dependent). Fire is a natural part of coastal plain ecology and the plants and critters here depend on it. Periodic fire keeps the pines and associated herbaceous diversity in the uplands and the wonderful array of hardwoods in the bottomlands.

Historically, lightning (and aboriginal folks) ignited fires that would burn for miles and miles until a river or weather put an end to it. Today, with a patchwork of highways, cropfields, towns, and houses...we help mother nature along by lighting some fires ourselves. I love how the fresh black of a recent burn turns emerald green in a few weeks, while the faint scent lingers in the spring air. Spring cleaning, so to speak....

So I'm often asked if I'm a pyro.....yeah, reckon so.

Papa and Levi on Levi's first burn

Turkeys will be scratching in here before it quits smoking.

My big helper.

87 and still working in the woods!

Cheesing.

a Saturday (almost) alone

2012-02-25T14:41:00.000-05:00

It's one of those magical days where things line up just right: In a last minute 'the time is just right' call, the menfolk (Papa, Joe, & Levi) abruptly left to go burn 100+ acres on the farm at Reno (fire is an essential element of this ecosystem). Indi has decided to take, thus far, a 3.5 hour nap. And, the postlady arrived with an early self-ordered birthday gift: new nursery seed-cell flats.

Left alone to my own devices.

I've cracked a beer, and am happily seeding away 350 cells.

Swiss chard : 5 color silverbeet

Arugula!!! Oh, I could eat this stuff morning, noon, & night!

Levi & Indi

2012-02-23T22:29:00.001-05:00

an afternoon at the pond - this is at Reno on Papa's farm

she's cruising now - moving from room to room as she likes - the new chickens are always a stop - the chick nursery is anchored so she can pull up on it without flipping it

Today

2012-02-19T15:24:00.002-05:00

seed potatoes cut & being allowed to callous - each piece has a couple eyes

8 chicks hatched out of the first batch = 4 blue eggs, 3 browns, and 1 white

our IPA bubbling away

the mud room's sink area has become my potting bench

sorting all our seeds, making decisions - what to plant now? does it need a hot tray to germinate? cold tray? direct seed? what do we need to order? what older non-viable seeds need to be put in the compost pile?

Happiness

2012-02-16T20:38:00.001-05:00

It's been one of those weeks where everything seems to fall into place. With so many ups and downs along the way - it's lovely to embrace & appreciate such times.

My beautiful baby boy turned 5 this past week, and my wide-eyed girl is now (just this week) crawling!

I'm happy spring is nearly here, and with it all the exciting garden activities that I so very much enjoy. I *love* working with plants. This week saw the first batch of homebrew made - and we now watch with smiles as it begins to bubble. We're hearing peeps coming from the incubator & the first eggs are starting to be pipped. And the icing on the cake for me is, just today, the procurement of 2 hives of bees to be picked-up in April.

*Smile*

Welcome Back

2012-02-15T11:37:00.001-05:00

I have to admit to being a bit giddy this morning - we're brewing tonight. After a 4-5 year hiatus, the homebrew equipment has been pulled back out. Dusty bottles being run thru the dishwasher with a tablespoon of bleach (all the work it took way-back-when to pull the labels off these & scrub them clean...), carboys lifted from the back of the pantry, supplies being inventoried, and of course, a trip to the local brew shop. This was an obsession of mine for a while, several years ago now, when we lived in Athens - enough so that the guy at the local brew shop knew me by name.

a second load of bottles waiting a turn thru the dishwasher

Though my first love is black chocolaty stout, Joe has certainly made his case for the highly hopped IPA. We decided on this IPA recipe that the Homebrew Den (in Tallahassee) puts together.

liquid malt extract, crushed malt, and sealed packs of hops

a vial of liquid yeast

Welcome Back. Yes, indeed.

Before Dinner Entertainment

2012-02-13T22:51:00.000-05:00

While I made my new favorite on the stovetop: glazed turnips! Yes turnip roots - only encountered before in your typical Southern pot'a'greens. Peel & quarter small tender ones - saute in butter - simmer till tender - top with toasty breadcrumbs.

Happy 5th Birthday Levi!!!

2012-02-11T08:29:00.000-05:00

We love you so much!!

Levi with the birthday hat from school.

Waning Full Moon

2012-02-08T21:59:00.002-05:00

It feels like spring is here already - roughly: 70 days / 50 nights. A multitude of seeds going in & coming up. The first tray of tomato seedlings a week old now.

Spending our days outdoors soaking in the sunshine.

Levi down at Reno with Joe disking up the firebreaks - getting ready to burn in March. Levi insisted on his own pair of earplugs {just like Daddy}.

Joe working on a deerskin over the weekend - a pair of buckskin pants in the works.

Indi's regular mode of transport: the mei tai back carry. She is literally spending hours on my back each day - for me it's the way to plant seedlings & house clean - as long as I'm moving she's happy. My only glitch lately is that she often falls asleep back there & if I'm not careful she ends up with her head falling straight back. I need to retro fit my mei tai to include a hood to secure her while snoozing.

The cabbage patch gets the boot. This was our first attempt at growing cabbage & something was a little off = all we got were some loosely formed heads. They were taking up valuable real estate so I decided to call it quits - there's enough a least to make a batch of sauerkraut - and really, that's all I wanted!

Our next endeavor :: eggs in!

2012-01-28T11:48:00.002-05:00

Mrs. Harper has let us borrow her incubator & given us dozen eggs from her hens - many thanks! And so our next farm experiment begins. I read up on protocol & got the device up & calibrated yesterday. This morning, with a little help, the eggs went in. In 21 days we'll see what comes of it all ~ Feb 17th.

'Owl'standing Leader

2012-01-27T21:12:00.000-05:00

Levi was Mrs. Harper's 'Owl'standing Leader for January. Good job, Bubby...we're proud of you!

Mrs Harper and Levi

Getting his award

January harvest

2012-01-26T16:49:00.001-05:00

the first wave of broccoli coming in

Levi's first duck hunt

2012-01-22T22:42:00.003-05:00

Some pictures from a morning hunt last weekend. Levi and I struck out for the farm on a chilly morning and headed down to the beaver swamp in hopes of finding a few ducks. Levi managed stayed dry (Daddy not so much after having to swim the neck-deep swamp to retrieve a bird) and we had a grand time. Duck is one of our family favorites.....Molly the magician made three hearty meals from the two birds, with plans for more ducks in the near future.

Sofkee Creek, low from lack of rain

Duck man!

Dreaming...

2012-01-22T22:19:00.000-05:00

We're pouring over seed catalogs here & beginning to sketch out our grand plans for the upcoming garden season. 2 beds of carrots, 3 of potatoes, 2 for onions, and what about sweet potatoes?.... The evenings are being spent in the library, glass of wine in hand, reading about nutrient/growing requirements.

This weekend I put in exactly 240 onion plants = 2 rows down a raised bed with enough room left for lettuce in the middle.

Oh, Napoli

2012-01-14T00:10:00.002-05:00

These babies are just getting bigger & better! Levi can't help but pull one everytime he visits the garden.

This variety is Napoli - known for becoming sweeter as they're held in-ground during the colder months. We're down to our last 20 carrots or so in the garden. The carrots were so successful in our deep beds this winter, we've decided to dedicate some serious square footage to them come spring.

Our favorite way to eat them? Cut into diagonal chunks, tossed with olive oil/salt/fresh rosemary, and roasted in cast iron in a 400+ degree oven until soft & slightly caramelized.

New Year's Day 2012

2012-01-01T22:53:00.003-05:00

We all awoke feeling more achy and sick than the night before. Departed Jennings and made our way home in the early hours of the day. Indi has her first full blown cold.

We embraced home 'as is' and most of us cocooned in the warmth of fuzzy blankets and snoozed the rest of the day away. The requisite black-eyed peas & greens were consumed.

What did you do today?

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Goodbye 2011

2011-12-31T23:47:00.001-05:00

It's my last chance to squeeze in a 2011 blog post. I'm the lone soul here at Joe's parents staying up to see in the new year. I'm hearing the occasional pop of fireworks in the distance & thinking some of the year just closing. Really a year of great change for us: a new child, a new home, a new job, major surgery, and a child off to school.

What will the year ahead hold?

flying high

2011-12-19T20:55:00.000-05:00

a visit with Jerry

2011-12-17T20:58:00.000-05:00

Every 2 or 3 weeks we visit Jerry Kolman, an orthotist, who maintains Indigo's helmet. He checks for head growth & makes adjustments to the helmet. The goal is to give her an average proportioned head. The helmet is creating resistance in the front and back and is open on the sides.

Especially important is the ratio of head circumference to head width. For the 'average' female child (6-12 months old) this ratio is 78. Indigo began at 67 and is now at 73.75. We hope she will get to 80 -there will be some regression once the helmet is off, and hopefully will then settle somewhere around 78.

Thanks Jerry for all your help!

measuring circumference

width

doing some diagonal measurements

checking that her head is symmetric (measuring from each ear to middle of nose)

today we are doing a 3-D scan as well, the laser only sees white - hence the white cap

cutouts for ears made - not so bad huh?

attaching a 'center' for the laser to orient to

the resulting scan

Indigo is wearing a helmet to correct sagittal suture craniosynostosis which was discovered at her 1-month pediatrician checkup. We traveled to Shands Hospital in August (when she was 3.5 months old) and the suture was surgically opened by Dr. Pincus. {I wanted to have those keywords included to help others who may be searching for more information.}

a thoughtful night

2011-12-14T19:00:00.002-05:00

Kiddos

2011-12-13T21:44:00.001-05:00

Listening to Daddy & pulled herself up to her feet for the first time.

Life is good.

Winter Color

2011-12-13T21:38:00.000-05:00

gray monday afternoon sipping hot tea

2011-12-12T16:31:00.000-05:00

"Henny Penny and Six Chicks" (still making those chicks) pattern used from Handmade Beginnings: 24 Sewing Projects to Welcome Baby book. This will be Indigo's Solstice gift. Though instead of having the chicks velcro under the mother hen's wings, as instructed in the book, I'm going to tack down the bottom part of each wing to create a pocket so that the chicks can fit in.

Playing around with courthouse steps mini quilt pattern.

Stirfry tonight. Some goodies to throw in from our winter garden. {Don't know why blogger flipped this pic sideways.} Napoli carrots, basil, the first of the snow peas, & baby kale. A note here: it's mid-December & we've yet to have a killing frost - I've got basil, cannas, and bell peppers still hanging on.

Pecan Butter

2011-12-11T00:43:00.001-05:00

There are several mature pecan trees on the place and this year two of them produced. We picked up 60+ pounds of nuts. After sharing some we ended up getting 45 pounds cracked. I've been shelling pecans for days. Thought we'd give pecan nut butter a try. Turns out it's super easy. Simply pecans and a tiny bit of salt.

3 cups of pecans ready to toast

350 degree oven for about 10 minutes - get them just a little toasty

add a tiny bit of salt and blend, for a while...

very good. and with the price of peanut butter skyrocketing -we're switching.

Eat More Kale

2011-12-10T17:30:00.001-05:00

{organic} {pond garden} {supper}

what's the haps

2011-12-10T10:40:00.001-05:00

Enjoying the 'pear honey' jam Mrs. Devane sent home with us on homemade pecan waffles. A note to myself when I'm trying to duplicate this next year: small bits of pear & even smaller bits of orange peel - maybe put it in the chopper for a minute.

After Indigo had a gagging fit in the front yard (having eaten an oak leaf I found the next day...), Levi drew us a 'very serious' picture of instructions. Above is a detailed interpretation of her digestive tract - he speculated on the whereabouts of the unknown offender. And gave us explicit directions that she should only be eating bananas and carrots (happy baby above left with bowl of appropriate food).

Satsumas. Even sweeter now after a frost.

Smoking a wild hog ham - BBQ in the making.

So many varieties of camillas now in bloom. Enjoying their beauty & diversity.

Yet another batch of lettuce starts.

Levi has several strings of lights he is randomly moving around the house. This morning they're running across the livingroom floor.

Making Satsuma Marmalade

2011-12-04T22:01:00.001-05:00

We've two satsuma trees here on the place - both loaded with fruit. Until I encountered these trees some years ago while visiting Cairo with Joe, I had no idea that citrus trees ripen in the winter. For that matter I'd never even heard of a satsuma = a tangerine of a hardy loose-skinned variety, originally grown in Japan.

We are feasting on them daily - especially Levi, who frequents the 'sweeter' tree. I'm making my first batches of marmalade - basically jelly made with citrus juice. I'm trying a method that does not involve the use of SureJell (powdered pectin). This 'old-fashion' method relies on concentrating the naturally occurring pectin content of the fruit, and testing for a 'set' as you cook the jam/jelly.

I now understand the widespread use of powdered pectin. My first batch set a little hard and the second batch too soft. My crew isn't particular about such nuances - they'll take their marmalade anyway it comes.

Cane Grinding

2011-11-27T10:09:00.001-05:00

While in Jennings over Thanksgiving, we went to Mr. and Mrs. Devane's annual cane grinding and syrup boiling. The Devanes are my folk's closest neighbors, and their weekend shack and syrup house is a few miles down the road. Cane syrup was a cultural staple in the deep South, but like so many other rural traditions it's fading away in favor of cheaper, less labor intensive substitutes. In this case, artificially-flavored corn syrup. The Devanes grow a patch of sugar cane and have a tradition of grinding it and cooking it down every Thanksgiving. It's always a wonderful treat to smell the syrup cooking on the cool air.

Thanks for letting us come enjoy the fruits of your efforts!

The Devane's syrup house

Cane juice coming from the grinder

Papa Don showing the boys how it works

Each of them got a piece of sugar cane to chew....a treat!

Boiling the juice down into syrup

Patiently waiting?

A catface pine log from the turpentine days

Molly talking with Mrs. Devane

The boys playing on an old Farmall at the Johnson's cane grinding.

The Johnson's syrup house

I love this skillet hanger....in a 100+ year old farmhouse

The old Johnson House

Where the meals were

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T21:52:00.001-05:00

Making homemade lemonade tonight & a fresh green salad to take over to Jennings in the morning. Gobble gobble!

to eat a carrot

2011-11-21T21:20:00.001-05:00

fresh from the garden - then lightly steamed & pureed

her first bite

carrots oozing back out

6 months

2011-11-19T09:49:00.001-05:00

I found this dress at the Goodwill in Athens while pregnant with Levi - I absolutely love it & have held it all this time, just waiting to see...

The citrus is ripe at our house. Satsumas (above) & the lemons below.

Six Months Old Tomorrow!

2011-11-18T08:35:00.001-05:00

sunshine morning

2011-11-17T10:28:00.001-05:00

a bit of time each day is spent with toes in the grass - inspecting (and eating) leaves, grass, and pine needles

she had her first 'real' bite of food yesterday : a chunk of kale swiped & gulped down before I could extracted it while sitting on her blanket in the garden

Levi's newly constructed 'science board' - all manner of animals are included - I love these ideas he comes up with - my *favorites* are of course the very detailed house fly & yellow jacket

a new bunting for the livingroom - Levi picked out & cut the fabric himself - I did the sewing

my 'Thanksgiving cactus' blooming right on time

we did a 'grow out' of the few Carolina Redstick bean seeds we had = grown strictly to let the beans mature to create a new seed crop
we are harvesting the first of these mature beans

another 'grow out' for Wildwood Pumpkin seeds produced this lovely

one of the very first blooms beginning to open on the first of 20+ Camellia bushes around the property

Jemima surrender

2011-11-16T00:00:00.001-05:00

aint no pretender gonna ride in my canoe

Sprucing up the joint

2011-11-15T23:58:00.001-05:00

The lady with the helmet baby...

2011-11-15T20:07:00.001-05:00

I know people are just curious, but lately when I shop I avoid making eye contact with anyone I pass just so I don't have to explain the 'why' of my daughter's head gear. It gives me a glimpse of what anyone with a permanent disability endures long term.

today

2011-11-10T21:38:00.001-05:00

I am setting mouse traps with PB. It's getting cold & the house is inviting.
My youngest child is sitting up & playing on her own.
Another curveball at the Pine Hill house: septic tank needs pumping. New toliet, bath floor, and completely replumbed last week. I hear rumors of a new hot water heater this weekend.
Moving (many) houseplants inside. Our first freeze expected Friday night.
Eating hordes of ripe satsumas (a type of tangerine).

Hello

2011-11-10T21:35:00.001-05:00

2011-10-27T22:14:00.003-05:00

as viewed from outside, looking in our ancient wavy-glassed windows, a bit of a cairn Levi has constructed on his window sill - this is the absolute joy of children = the art they create = the way they inspire you = the gift of everyday joys

Joe and I always bring rocks home. Our home is filled with them. From every trip Joe and I have taken out west. Rocks from Kenny's grave. A broken bit of stone from Eddie's grave. The chipped up red rock from a hike with Deanna. The collection of smooth black rocks I picked up when I was 18 visiting the Pacific Ocean for the first time. Rocks Nick brought us from Alaska. And now, beautifully, the stones my child thoughfully collects & brings in to share & gift to my own cairns.

a late planting of mexican sunflowers brightening up the fall garden

the tiniest seeds to directly plant into the garden = CLAYONIA aka Miner's Lettuce, an exteremly cold hardy salad green

2011-10-23T21:22:00.002-05:00

kiddos

2011-10-22T19:27:00.000-05:00

Eastern box turtle - found all on his own - I had stepped right over it - he has Joe's eyes in the woods = doesn't miss a thing

woods explorer in Wildwood

a little helmet free time outside while Levi & I paint signs for the garden

"Kale" - then a butterfly, dragonfly, & working on a beetle

building a garden

2011-10-22T19:05:00.001-05:00

31August = 3 rows completed - making these by pulling up soil to create walks/rows - have done these by myself with a hoe - a great workout to shake pregnancy body

today - a bit of glare,sorry - 4 rows complete - winter greens going in - broccoli, cabbage, & spinach up several inch - peas beginning to climb - carrots up 6 or 8 inches - already picking & eating some earlier planted kale

Back Carry

2011-10-17T09:58:00.001-05:00

We're trying out the mai tia back carry & I love it.

You are what you read

2011-10-16T23:07:00.001-05:00

For a small town, Cairo has a kick-ass (apparently well funded) library. We are frequent visitors. Some of our current reading...

Seed to Seed: seed saving and growing techniques for vegetable gardeners

Buffalo Bird Woman's Garden: a Hidatsa Indian born about 1839, she was an expert gardener - this book is crazy detailed - very cool

Last Child in the Woods: saving our children from nature-deficit disorder. No problems here.

The Winter Harvest Handbook: year round vegetable production using deep-organic techniques and unheated greenhouse. My favorite out of this lot. I must purchase this book. Have not put it down since getting it.

Planning a kitchen garden. Levi picked this one out for me. He usually finds a book for me while we're in the adult section.

Preserve It! I will be making orange marmalade from homegrown oranges this year!

Flirt Skirts: learn how to sew, customize, and style your very own skirts. I'm drafting a 'flare' skirt. Results to come...

Progress Made

2011-10-16T20:57:00.000-05:00

The barn at our new place has 40+ years of accumilations. We are slowly putting hands on every item & deciding to keep or toss. Mostly tossing. But there have been a few cool finds. Here's some progress being made on the greenhouse attached to the barn. The next step in here are new shelves & in-ground planting beds.

Mid-way thru the greenhouse clean out

Nearly empty - Levi decides the windows are dirty & scrubs them all himself - pretty awesome thanks Levi

Discovering Gary Snyder

2011-09-30T20:52:00.002-05:00

After Work

The shack and a few trees
float in the blowing fog

I pull out your blouse,
warm my cold hands
on your breasts.
you laugh and shudder
peeling garlic by the
hot iron stove.
bring in the axe, the rake,
the wood

we'll lean on the wall
against each other
stew simmering on the fire
as it grows dark
drinking wine.

Connected

2011-09-24T20:53:00.003-05:00

The day after we found out

A few hours after her surgery

The day after her surgery - her face was badly swollen, but we could already see the change in her head shape

reading to Indigo, Levi listens in

my resident artist, he is a prolific drawer/painter, maybe a future scientific illustrator - here he is making a sketch of the dead cicadas he found

Waiting in pre-op the hour before her surgery - she could not eat past 4am & so the nurses gave us a pacifier that we could dip in sugar water to keep her calm - I remember being scared but ready to face it so it could be over

Both sets of grandparents in the surgical waiting room at Shands

this is the first time I saw her afterwards - she was screaming, hungry & attached to 3 IVs - she wanted to eat & I was terrified to handle her with all the tubing & monitors attached - over the course of her hospital stay she had 9 IVs placed - most of which blew out when the fluid was started, that was torture for me - I'm so thankful we are at home now & she's well

Mid August from Cairo

2011-08-17T15:51:00.002-05:00

These are all pictures off my cell phone - a few are a little dark. Indigo's surgery is next Tuesday. I'm trying to get the last of the boxes/rooms done before we go, so when we come home it will be calm & clean.

back of house - nice big deck & bird feeding station

front - the house faces a dirt road - the original structure was built in 1890 - the 'add-ons' are to the left & right

on our way to Tallahassee for the Wednesday farmer's market at Lake Ella

Levi's first day of school - he started pre-K on August 5th

Loving on his sister

"I can hold her"

"talking"

first visit with Grandma - I went there the weekend before last

One of the three garden spots we've harrowed up - I can't begin to get these all planted right now - maybe this will be our sunflower field next year....

From Cairo

2011-07-14T22:40:00.002-05:00

No internet at the new place yet. I'm at Burger King in Cairo - now almost midnight - for an internet fix. The house is taking on shape & I'm down to only maybe 20 boxes left. Papa & Joe are going to harrow a garden spot up on Saturday - think the first seeds to go in the ground will be the old heirloom Wildwood pumpkins. Wondering how to add nutrients & stick to organic. Fish emulsion & I needa find a horse farm quick.

Indigo's surgery will be on August 23rd. We got the best possible news when we went to Shands. She will have the less invasive surgery & be fitted for a helmet within the month. She'll have to wear it for the next year.

2011-07-07T21:34:00.001-05:00

We've survived the move & will be going to Shands hospital tomorrow.

2011-06-24T22:41:00.002-05:00

This week Indigo was diagnosed with craniosynostosis. It is the early closure of one or more of the sutures in the skull. She has the most common type: sagittal craniosynostosis. The sagittal suture (the one on top of the head) is fused and must be opened with surgery.

We are slowly taking in what this means for our family. Her surgery will likely happen within the month & she will have to wear a helmet for the next year.

Our move to Cairo will happen next Friday. We're trying to focus on the present & just take things one day at a time. Please keep us in your thoughts.

One month

2011-06-17T22:06:00.002-05:00

It seems impossible that one full month has passed since the birth. I can't get my head around it. Indigo is more alert & really a perfectly lovely baby. And making this very busy time so much easier in that she is an excellent sleeper.

This is our 501st post

2011-06-12T22:52:00.002-05:00

since beginning this blog back in 2007 - right before Levi was born. I've enjoyed reading thru those old post lately - especially to compare the pictures of Levi as a newborn to little Indigo. And to take a look at our experiences as new parents.

We've got 3 weeks before our move to Cairo. I've got the packing well underway & have to say it's making the housekeeping a bit easier - as in: the more I pack into boxes, the less there is for our family to maintain. As always, I'm parting with numerous items during this packing process - I love to purge. Less is always more.

Having a potluck solstice party on Saturday... a few days before the actual solstice on Tuesday.

Moving

2011-06-03T20:39:00.002-05:00

We'll be moving to Cairo, Ga at the end of this month. Joe's taking a new biologist position with DNR. Still finalizing everything & taking it all in. We'll begin packing soon.

10 Days later

2011-05-29T22:29:00.002-05:00

With all the chaos of the last week, we're trying to create rhythm in our days again. The weekend has been quiet family time, all learning about this new person in our lives. I feel pretty good for having given birth 10 days again - emotional still - weepy today especially. Though fairly well rested - Indigo is a good sleeper.

I feel like Levi has grown overnight. He's suddenly so BIG. He got a bike with training wheels last week & here's the bike helmet he picked out.

Snuggled in the middle of our bed.

My daughter!

He loves to hold her & wants to carry her around (with a hovering Mama close by).

Indigo (Indie)

2011-05-22T13:10:00.008-05:00

Finally meeting her big brother, who has been talking non-stop to her for months

First meetings

Our purple coneflowers are blooming (as well as sunflowers, daylilies, butterfly weed, the first cosmo, and cannas)

Two little ones in our family bed

On the front steps of our home on Magnolia St.

Reading 'Runaway Bunny' to his sister before bed

Birth

2011-05-22T13:03:00.002-05:00

A successful homebirth -words cannot capture my elation.

Full Moon magic

2011-05-16T20:59:00.002-05:00

The moon is 100% full right now - though its so cloudy here I can't see it rising. I thought maybe I'd have a little full moon magic with labor but so far all is quiet here. Another good prenatal today. Georganna guesses the baby to be 7 pounds. And though I'm packing in the protein, I've gained no weight in the last couple weeks.

Feeling calm & thoughtful. Keeping the house tidy. Clean, put away laundry. Long after dinner walks. Love & harmony with my husband. An excited child. Sunflowers blooming. Tomatoes setting fruit. Both hens laying now. Zen.

Mother's Day

2011-05-10T18:45:00.000-05:00

me & my baby on Mother's Day

When?

2011-05-10T10:28:00.000-05:00

I'm guessing the 17th or 19th.

38 weeks

2011-05-05T16:07:00.002-05:00

birth tub squeezed into our small room. tidy stacks of diapers, blankets, & birth supplies on the changing table. the quilt my Grandma made me. a gourd I grew the year after we got married.

Joe wrapped me in plaster last night & made a beautiful belly cast & it looks so pretty - like a big easter egg. maybe it'll have time to dry & paint & add to the wall before the big day.

2 weeks to go!

2011-05-02T11:26:00.001-05:00

The birthtub is now set-up in our bedroom. Feeling calm, ready to go.

Baby Chain

2011-04-28T20:29:00.002-05:00

Beth had the great idea to do this & I've copied her. This is our 'baby chain' - actually this pic was taken back at the end of March. It's the number of days till our baby comes. Red was March, yellow is April, and green is May. Our chain now just has a few yellows left before starting the green. It's been a great way for us all to visualize the days left - especially Levi.

Canoochee River Trip.....

2011-04-25T15:17:00.006-05:00

A few pics from a Canoochee River trip. On down the river......

Levi ponderings

2011-04-10T17:10:00.005-05:00

After a long quiet pause from the backseat:

"How do octupus poo?"

*****

At 5Am after getting up to go potty:

"Do alligators have noses?"

*****

After inquiring about what animals/bugs live in the mud:

"Do crawfish get mud in their eyes?"

*****

Dining room table, during dinner:

Levi informs his parents when his feet are dirty he sometimes licks them clean. His parents emphatically reply that this practice will result in worms & sickness. After pondering his fate, Levi informs his parents that it sure is taking a long time.

early May

2011-04-07T08:36:00.004-05:00

a visit from my midwife GeorgAnna & her daughter, Bellaluna

she's checking out the baby - head down & in a good birth position

about 33 weeks

my first experience with a Doppler - we're all hearing the baby's heartbeat

Mom & Dad visited this past week - I took them to the old Midway graveyard one day to check it out

GeorgAnna brought her newborn, Clover

We found Levi in the room reading to her - he's getting ready for his new sibling

A beautiful new afghan from Aunt Rie

reading with Cookie

A big help in the kitchen - preparing shrimp to fry

feeling the baby kick

reading to his baby doll in the new baby seat - he's getting lots of practice

Pap brought a minnow trap that was a big hit - we put it in the canal behind the house - tadpoles & crawfish were caught & released

March

2011-03-31T21:21:00.006-05:00

I'm in time to squeeze in one post before March is over. So lazy on the blog front & spending so little time online these days. Have pretty much gotten the house ready for the upcoming babymoon & planting our spring garden.... so busy on other fronts. We've got 6 weeks to go before baby arrives.

Levi several weeks ago - his first day of T-ball practice. I love that all games/ practices are at the fields next to our house. We can just walk over.

Making a quilt for the new baby. I'm doing a simple "9-block" pattern... keeping it easy so I will finish in time. The finished quilt should be about 5x5.... perfect for picnics or floor play. This is a shot from last week, I've now got 18 of the 25 blocks done. I will machine quilt it to keep it manageable in the amount of time I have left. Also, I'm only using fabric scraps I already have... will only buy fabric to do the borders with.

In the potting shed! Spring is definitely here. Have had several days in the HIGH 80's already. Our peas are up 2 feet.

An entire wardrobe hanging to dry. All the newborn clothes have been triple washed & sundried. And surprisingly only took up two dresser drawers.

Camping with Daddy

2011-02-27T14:53:00.004-05:00

Levi and I went camping down the road from the house......little place on the Wildlife Management Area near the office. Had a marshmallow-infused good time. Snuck up and checked out a few armadillos, shot our bows, raced our cars, and collected all the recyclables from the woods (Levi). In sum, had a great time!

28 weeks

2011-02-23T21:58:00.003-05:00

28 weeks preg

during our evening walk

reading Sadie a bedtime story

Happy Birthday Levi

2011-02-12T19:42:00.003-05:00

Midway, Georgia visit

2011-01-25T20:06:00.004-05:00

Midway is the next town south of us from Richmond Hill. It was first settled in 1754 & though history rich, is a very small sleepy town these days - (whereas it's sister city to the north, Savannah thrived & is comparatively huge now). We went Sunday & roamed around this very old graveyard.

Levi brought gloves & a ball in case we needed to take a break.

an ancient & partially hollow live oak

the script of the writing & graphic at the top would make a cool rubbing
also of note - a fair number of headstones were made of this dark slate

I thought this very interesting: Mary 'consort' of Samuel. Date of death 1845, 78 years old.

End of January

2011-01-24T20:58:00.002-05:00

~22 weeks

I took Levi to a Christmas parade in early December & he still has a stash of candy - he's only getting 1 or 2 pieces a day & I'm so ready for it to be gone - I do not keep sweets in the house & this is like crack for him - I've been slowly throwing pieces away all the while - he takes a great deal of time picking out his piece for the day - he pours it all out & ponders....

He *loves* to help in the kitchen - I made him this apron for Christmas - if he hears me start moving around in the kitchen he'll come running - he's an expert at peeling carrots & chopping soft veggies. He likes to stir whatevers on the stovetop - you have to watch him with the salt & pepper though- he's a bit heavy handed.

And he can make pancake batter with his eyes closed (as can I = we have them about 4 times a week). Here he's helping with morning oatmeal.

Baby check

2011-01-15T12:25:00.002-05:00

We had our first and only ultrasound this week (at a safe 22 weeks) and thankfully this time (unlike the one ultrasound of Levi) got no hint of the sex. 10 fingers, 10 toes, 2 kidneys - check. Healthy baby. Placenta up & to the right. Feeling so many many kicks now. This pregnancy is flying by. I'm attending a belly casting party at the end of the month - excited to try that out.

New Year's Eve

2010-12-31T12:58:00.002-05:00

Thanks for enduring the hiatus - so much going on around the holidays. Here's some pics from the last weeks.

Making clay beetles

A surprise at the bottom of the carton of soy milk - "Levi, why is your plastic scorpion in here?"
"She was thirsty"

Making homemade tree ornaments from recycled felted wool sweaters

A little baby belly

Our first purchased Christmas tree in our 10-years of marriage - in the past we've always cut down a wild cedar

Happy Solstice!!!

2010-12-21T14:58:00.000-05:00

And a full moon tonight!

Sorry for the lack of posts!!

2010-12-05T10:37:00.004-05:00

We've been very busy with the holidays, travel, and switching internet providers. We're doing great....Molly is showing and is past most of the sickness.

We'll get more posts up soon...meanwhile, here are a few from a recent camping/bowhunting trip to Blackbeard Island.

Saturday

2010-11-20T11:15:00.002-05:00

Feeling so much better in the last week or so. Still uneasiness around certain foods (the smell or thought of chicken - blah!), but for the most part I feel steady. Levi chatters endlessly to our baby who we have named "Love" - telling he/she all that awaits them on the outside. I'll have my first and only ultrasound in mid-January. And as we did last time we'll wait & have a surprise. I *love* surprises!

We're headin' to Wildwood next Wednesday - excited about a long weekend at home.

Buckskin

2010-11-14T16:18:00.005-05:00

For all the deer meat in our freezer, we've never gotten into the habit of tanning their hides - they usually go with the carcass back to the woods - this year we've decided to start. Joe's put several in the freezer & we'll be saving any more this season.

Today we took a small doe skin & began the fleshing process. There are many different methods & we're just learning what will work for us. We'll be brain tanning. The theory goes that each animal has enough brain to tan its hide. And I've just learned in the absence of a matching brain, eggs can substitute.

scraping flesh & membrane from the inside of the skin - we'll leave the fur on the outside of this one for a soft bedside rug - the next ones we'll remove the fur to make buckskin for making clothes - I want a pair of leather pants!

using a sander to remove the fine membrane that remains on this now dried hide

New Ride

2010-11-10T09:32:00.003-05:00

In the last week he's finally figured out how to use the pedals & now, can't be stopped. Afternoon walks included.

Sunday Morning Biscuit Makers

2010-11-07T20:16:00.002-05:00

A special treat this morn - the gents let me sleep in till 10 and then made a batch of biscuits. Thanks guys!

His first sampling of buttermilk - after a moments pause & a strange face he decides he really likes it

a buttermilk moustache (and some in his hair too somehow)

Ready for the oven

Dad

2010-11-06T20:24:00.003-05:00

This is a pic of my Dad in his tradition mountain man attire (dropsleeve shirt handstitched by me - - it only took me a year...). I love these pants too Dad! Great pic.

Our cousin Koyle took the pic & I always go back & check it out on Facebook - couldn't resist archiving it on our blog.

Latest Family Pic

2010-11-05T08:45:00.003-05:00

Checking In

2010-11-01T19:54:00.002-05:00

Have been feeling blah & not really motivated on the blog front lately. Or any front for that matter. There's piles of clean laundry lying around & the house could use a good deep clean. I'm nearing the end of the first trimester & I'm expecting this upset tummy to be history soon.

I'm headed to the midwife for the first time tomorrow where there will be some blood drawn (dread). I get whoozy when needles come out. This will be the only needle ordeal the entire pregnancy so just have to get past tomorrow without hitting the floor.

omnivore choice

2010-10-22T21:16:00.004-05:00

clean, fresh venison, Joe's first deer taken with a longbow, a pure connection with the meat we choose to eat.

"Killing a deer with the thrush of an arrow late on an autumn afternoon in that yellow hickory light with the wind high in the trees seems a fitting thing to do, part of a very powerful practice that prepares you for the end of one year and the beginning of another. Dragging a deer home at twilight, feeling the bountiful weight of it and listening to the leaves chant as you pull it along feels right as rain. To be a hunter that way, with the iodine odor of blood on your hands and forearms and your heart still pounding with the approach of a deer that's been dead for an hour. Many people don't accept this, particularly folks who don't spend much time in the woods, but hunting is not about killing animals. No more than life is about dying." -Christopher Camuto

Quiet Sunday Night

2010-10-17T21:54:00.003-05:00

The gents are snoozing & I'm on my way. In a very quiet peaceful mode - feel really tired like after a long day of hard work.

Mom & Dad came for a visit this weekend - we feasted on Joe's perfect fried shrimp Friday night - and Saturday Mom, Levi, I went downtown to Forsyth Park.

I'm still riding on the waves of my lurching stomach - maybe 3 weeks of this left? In the quiet of stomach 'okayness' that seems do-able. When dry heaving in the fetal position it feels like a lot longer.

Thursday night

2010-10-14T21:38:00.004-05:00

Quiet time at home = Joe took Levi to the woods after work, then brought me home sushi takeout, & Project Runway. Nice.

Preggers!

2010-10-13T18:57:00.004-05:00

After a year of trying - with the monthly ups & downs, and a despairing miscarriage this summer - we are so happy to announce a May baby on its way! Yay!

I'm experiencing those nauseated/tired weeks of the 1st trimester - though it's reassuring to know those are the signs of healthy pregnancy. I did the first 3 months of my pregnancy with Levi living in a tent in Wyoming, and I will say this time around its nice to have the comforts of a home.

My cravings have been all over the place - the last few days I've been dying for some sushi rolls. And miso soup is a favorite. I'm loathing brown rice and any type of bean.

Pesto

2010-10-11T19:20:00.003-05:00

We tried this recipe tonight & both agreed this is our favorite in a long string of 'pesto experiments':

6 cloves garlic (tho we used 1 tonight to make it a little more Levi friendly)
15 large fresh basil leaves
6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup olive oil
1 pound box pasta
2 tablespoons butter
Parm cheese to taste

*Combine garlic, basil, cheese, pine nuts, and salt in food processor until smooth. Add olive oil gradually, processing constantly to a smooth sauce.

*Cook pasta & drain. Combine pasta, pesto, and butter in serving bowl; toss to mix. Serve with additional cheese.

October!

2010-10-10T19:44:00.000-05:00

Where are we?

Skippyjon Jones

2010-09-28T21:46:00.002-05:00

"I cannot believe that in two quiet hours you covered the walls with those cockeyed Chihuahuas," she scolded. "You are not a Chihuahua. You are a naughty Siamese cat. And you need a time-out to think about that."

The kitty boy did not budge.

But Junebug could be very purr-suasive. "If you think more like a cat," she said, "Mama will catch you a mouse big and fat. I'll dip it in butter and roll it in cheese.... All you must do is think Siamese!"

...I've heard those last lines over and over today, Levi's stuck on them...

Lepidoptera & Coleoptera

2010-09-27T20:26:00.002-05:00

We've started some daily projects learning about insects - a favorite subject! First Lepidoptera = butterflies/moths. Then today Coleoptera = beetles. I love those words coming out of my 3-year-old's mouth.

Late Summer Garden

2010-09-25T21:06:00.002-05:00

T-8days

2010-09-22T18:08:00.002-05:00

until I leave for the Southeast Women's Herbal Conference in Black Mountain, NC. It'll be my first weekend away by myself in some time. A solo roadtrip & camping in the mountains... ahhh.

It's an annual event that I first heard about last year (thanks Joe for finding that link) only a few days before the actual event & couldn't work into the schedule so last minute - so I decided I would be sure to make it this year. I have a feeling it will be a new annual journ for me. Follow the link above & check out all the great classes offered. The hardest part I think is deciding which to take.

New Buzz

2010-09-21T22:16:00.000-05:00

Homemade Buns

2010-09-17T00:14:00.001-05:00

homemade wholewheat cinnamon buns

all rolled up

slicing

awaiting the icing...

Sand Gnats Game

2010-09-13T22:14:00.004-05:00

Shots from the game last Monday = Labor Day. Free parking, $1 admission, $1 hotdogs, $1 beers and we won the game. Perfect.

Levi got excited everytime the ball was hit.

A nice walk thru the park to the ballfield.

He wanted his picture with the Sand Gnat

A random shot from the other day. Propped up on the laundry pile perusing the Tao of Pooh.

Happy Labor Day!

2010-09-05T21:06:00.001-05:00

For the first time in 9 years we missed the Neely Pig Roast. Laying low this weekend - so much traveling lately has taken its toll on us. We're gonna catch a Sand Gnat's game tomorrow = the Savannah farm team.

Hickory Flatbow

2010-09-01T21:58:00.007-05:00

Back in May, Levi and I cut down a hickory on Papa's farm near Cairo. I wanted to make several primitive longbows to hunt with, and wanted the bow to come from a tree that would mean something. We scoured the farm and after evaluating several trees, we decided on this one, growing along the creek near the pond. After felling it, I counted 27 rings.....indicating the tree started life somewhere around 1982-83, when I was 8 years old. The tree was a young seedling growing very near the spot where a creek bottom squirrel bit my thumb and I was sure I was going to die a slow, agonizing death from squirrel rabies. Years later, it was a proper tree one sunny April afternoon when I called in three longbeards from the pines and took the largest not 30 yards from it's base. Familiar.

My helper (and future bowyer) taking a break before loading the tree on the truck.

When using hickory for a bow, the wood immediately under the bark becomes the "back" of the bow, which is the part away from the shooter. Because you use the wood right under the bark (as opposed to carving the wood down to follow a single growth ring as with Osage or Yew, for example), cutting the tree during the growing season allows the bark to easily peel off in large strips.

When splitting the trunk into staves, its best to use wedges to allow the wood to split along its natural grain, as opposed to using a saw. Seal the ends to prevent cracking, and wait, wait, wait!

Watch those toes!!

Four hickory staves

Thinning down the stave to near-bow dimensions so that it will season faster. If the wood is stressed before the moisture level drops to, say 10%, it will take "string set" and leave a generally weak bow (or a broken one).

Ready to dry for several weeks.

3 months later..........A bow!! What I didn't take pictures of was tillering the bow, the most important part. Tillering involves taking small amounts of wood from each limb until they bend equally. I did an adequate, but not a great job tillering. Hey, it's a learning process. :-)

I wrapped the handle in Jute twine and sealed the wood against moisture.

Full circle.....Shooting the bow with a homemade cane arrow and stone point. Next up, a bow for Molly.