Things That Work: Feedbag String

I use Feedbag string for a lot of things... 

Most notably, for lifelines in my knitting work.

I use it for heddles on my Inkle Loom and as "Weavers' Duct Tape" when dressing my Jack Looms.

It's a simple cotton string, that since I have livestock, I have a continual supply of feedbags and the string that keeps them shut.

I always prefer to find re-uses for things that are intended to be single-use and Feedbag String fits that need.

Mud

I've mentioned mud season a couple of times on this blog.

Since we moved in, we have worn a path from our house to the alpaca corrals and barn, which becomes mud when ever it rains or snows more than a small amount.

Mud sucks for pretty much anyone working in it.... but it especially sucks for wheelchair users.  So we've been talking about different solutions to our mud problem over the last few years.

The space right before the gate is shaded most of the day, so it's the last to dry out.

We love brick, but have been disheartened by the cost.

Enter, my sister.

They bought an old house a few years ago and replaced their brick patio over the summer.

It took a bit of time for us to coordinate schedules, but we finally collected the brick on the weekend before Thanksgiving, 2018.

So for the cost of a home-made meal, a load of alpaca manure for their garden, and the labor of moving the bricks, we now have enough pavers to cover most of our plan.

There is about 8500 lbs and 300 sq ft in two different colors.

We have a two high priority areas that we want to pave, so we were not concerned with having different colored bricks.

I'm excited.... this will be our major project for the upcoming spring.

Slow Living: June, 2014

June has been almost entirely consumed with finding a new job... I have a lot of feelings about this, most of which I'm not ready to share publicly.  So here's my June installment for the Slow Living Project.  :-)

NOURISH: Make and bake as much as possible from scratch. Ditch overpackaged, over-processed convenience foods and opt for 'real' food instead. Share favourite links/recipes/tips from the month here.

Hubba continues to take the lead in this role.  If it wasn't for him, I would probably be starving. lol

We did make it to the Farmer's Market a couple of times.  It's a great socialization opportunity for our dogs.  We love talking to the farmers and bakers and eating their delicious foods.

Photo courtesy, Lovif Patisserie

PREPARE: Stockpile and preserve. Freeze extra meals or excess garden/market produce. Bottle/can, dehydrate or pickle foods to enjoy when they are not in season. Aim to reduce dependency on store bought items especially those known to contain BPA and other suspect additives. Stocking up on dry goods when prices are low counts too.

We had hay delivered early in the month.

The alpacas love Hay Delivery Day almost as much as I do.  You can see all of the girls standing at the fence watching the guys unload the truck.

I always feel better having a well-stocked barn.

REDUCE/Reuse/Re-purpose/Repair: Cut down on household waste by re-using, re-purposing and repairing. A ladder into a strawberry planter? A sheet into a dress? Share ideas and project links here, allowing others to be inspired.

Continuing with the Using What We Have idea and the fact that I haven't been travelling much, I went through my travel bag and used up the hygiene products along with several samples that had been collected.

Also a few old and ill-fitting t-shirts have been turned into rags.

GREEN: up our lives. Start (or continue!) using homemade cleaners, body products and basic herbal remedies. The options are endless, the savings huge and the health benefits enormous.

With it being spring and shearing season, I have been using my Neti Pot quite a lot.

Deodorant experiments? Thank you for the comments and advice last month... I have not yet looked into any deodorant recipes, but I will be looking for ones using Mango Butter or Shea Butter as well as lotion bar and soap recipes.  The apparent reason for coconut oil in these products is that it is solid at room temperature and melts at body temperature.... but with my sensitivity, I've been reluctant to try it and am looking forward to trying these other options.

I started a comparison between traditional Incandescent Lights and the new LED lights.  So far, (~1 month) I like the LED version equal to the Incandescent version.  If these LED bulbs really last 7-22 years, I will be ecstatic.

GROW: plant/harvest. What's growing this month? What's being eaten from the garden? Herbs in a pot, sprouts on a windowsill or and entire fruit/vegetable garden -opt for what fits space and time constraints. Don't have a backyard? Ask a friendly neighbour or relative for a small patch of theirs in return for some home grown produce, they may surprise you!

I was hoping for more time to spend in the garden this month.  I did not get it, but my cotton seedling is doing well and my apples are growing.

My cherries got aphids and possibly Hover Fly Larva.  I don't know for sure, but they appear to be eating the aphids and not the tree.

I have also added every Lady Bug I've found to my Cherry Tree because anything that eats aphids is a friend in my book.

CREATE: to fill a need or feed the soul. Create for ourselves or for others. Create something as simple as a handmade gift tag or something as extravagant as a fine knit shawl. Share project details and any new skills learnt here.

A small bit of hat making, but primarily creative Cover Letter Writing and Job Searching.

DISCOVER: Feed the mind by reading texts relevant to current interests. Trawl libraries, second hand shops or local book shops to find titles that fill the need. Share titles/authors of what is being read this month.

Thanks to the dogs finding a pair of baby skunks this month, I have learned a few things:

• Baby Skunks are called Kits
• Skunks are a primary predator of Honeybees
• The Great Horned Owl is the primary predator of skunks
• Kits stay with their mother for nearly a year
• Surgical Soap removes Skunk Stink beautifully

I also learned about and joined a Shearer's Only group on Facebook which is becoming a great resource.  One of which is learning about a few sheep shearing schools.  I've not sheared sheep before and hate telling the sheep people that I am unable to help them... hopefully one of these courses will work with my schedule.

ENHANCE: community: Possibilities include supporting local growers and producers, help out at a local school/kindergarten, barter or foodswap, joining a playgroup or forming a walking or craft group. Car pooling where possible and biking/walking instead of driving. Even start up a blog if you haven't already - online communities count too! Or maybe just help out someone trying to cross the street! The rewards for your time are often returned tenfold.

I do like this category a lot.... it's so great to stop and think about how we've helped or have been helped by others...

At the land fill, which is the sort of place you get in and out of as quickly as possible, someone offered us the use of their de-thatching rake.  We had not brought the right equipment to unload our truck and were having trouble.  We returned the favor by letting them use our broom.  :-)

Also my Day Job Search has been a near-full-time activity.  Several friends and colleagues, many of which I did not expect, have gone out of their way to help me find a job within their companies or within companies where they have contacts.  I've had a few nibbles so far and am feeling optimistic that my new employment relationship, when I find it, will be a good one.

ENJOY: Life! Embrace moments with friends and family. Marking the seasons, celebrations and new arrivals are all cause for enjoyment. Share a moment to be remembered from the month here.

This has been a tough month, but there are a few little gems... a trek for The Best Fried Chicken, going the "back way" to get dog food, happy puppy faces at the fence, and shearing season.

Fiber Arts Friday: Letting Go or Moving On

After I finished my Forever Wingspan, I spent some time thinking about my shelved and languishing projects... trying to decide which should be finished or turned into something else.  Some are likely to be finished, such as the Acadian Shawl and Awesome Sweater Remake.  Others really should be something else...

First is my Surprise.

I had a vision of this project.  That vision was to be woven.

We've had some issues with the basement that has prevented my loom from being set up.  The last issue is still being resolved but I think we have line-of-sight to the path of final repairs now. *fingers crossed*

I had finished spinning the yarn quite a long time ago and really wanted to start working on the project itself.  But the knitted version was just not doing it for me.  So it was shelved, also a long time ago.

The bottom line is, that even while resting, the knitted version was not gaining any favor in my heart.  So I have taken it apart.

This will eventually become a Woven Surprise.... after the basement work is completed and the loom is set up.  So it will be some time, but I feel better having let go of the knitted path on this one.  ;-)

Second are my Challah Socks.

These have also been resting for quite a long time.  I love the pattern and love the yarn but have had to rip these socks out a few times.  The last being an extra stitch after finishing the heel.  I can't figure out where my mistake is.  It bugs me.  So this yarn is going to be a different pair of socks.

I've made Hubba two pairs of socks and the only pair of hand-knit socks I have were made by Spinster Beth.  I think that's wrong!  I'm a knitter.  I have sock yarn.  I should have more than one pair of hand-knit socks!!

I have a family trip planned in a few months and think these would be a good project to take along.  So the old socks have been frogged and set aside for, hopefully a more successful foray into sock making.

There are a couple of others that may also be frogged too, but there is no current plans for their yarn so they will continue to rest.

We've been getting a little rain around here and haven't seen the sun in a few days.  So I apologize for the quality of my photos... but it is quite impressive to see 6 months worth of rain in 6 hours.  ;-)  For a while they were saying that the Coast Guard was coming to help, but it was the National Guard... a proverbial slip of an official's tongue, I guess.  ;-)

We are fine.  We are far enough from the rivers, creeks and lakes so we've only got some standing water at our place.  But some bridges and roads have been washed out nearby, so I suspect that life as we know it will not be the same for a while.  ;-)

Happy Fiber Arts Friday.

Slow Living: April 2013

We have gotten so much snow this month and we have even more as I write this.

It's not unusual to get snow in April, or May for that matter.  But somehow April had more snow than October + November + December... or, at least that's how I remember it.  I'm having trouble finding the objective evidence to support my memory.  ;-)  The good news is that our drought conditions are improving and we are seeing much less lake bottom than we were a few weeks ago, but we have a long way to go.

Can you believe it's May Day already?  I guess that means it's time for my April installment for the Slow Living Project.  :-)

NOURISH: Make and bake as much as possible from scratch. Ditch overpackaged, over-processed convenience foods and opt for 'real' food instead. Share favourite links/recipes/tips from the month here.

With all of the snow, we've also had warmer temperatures so there has been more outdoor cooking this month...  Protein simply seasoned with salt and pepper and grilled then served with a green salad and rice or potatoes has been a favorite this month.  Left-overs are often eaten for lunch.... Hubba can be quite creative with a quesadilla.

PREPARE: Stockpile and preserve. Freeze extra meals or excess garden/market produce. Bottle/can, dehydrate or pickle foods to enjoy when they are not in season. Aim to reduce dependency on store bought items especially those known to contain BPA and other suspect additives. Stocking up on dry goods when prices are low counts too.

This month has been mostly about preparing for Shearing Season which starts this weekend and our puppy who moved in almost 2 weeks ago.

REDUCE/Reuse/Re-purpose/Repair: Cut down on household waste by re-using, re-purposing and repairing. A ladder into a strawberry planter? A sheet into a dress? Share ideas and project links here, allowing others to be inspired.

I have attempted to make home made yogurt a couple of times in hopes of reducing the number of plastic  containers entering our home and filling our cupboards.  But I am having trouble with the temperature maintenance during the incubation period.  So, one more try and then I may have to give in and buy the appliance.

GREEN: up our lives. Start (or continue!) using homemade cleaners, body products and basic herbal remedies. The options are endless, the savings huge and the health benefits enormous.

I received a SCOBY from a friend and started making our own Kombucha.  It's going very well and we have been reusing all kinds of glass jars.

GROW: plant/harvest. What's growing this month? What's being eaten from the garden? Herbs in a pot, sprouts on a windowsill or and entire fruit/vegetable garden -opt for what fits space and time constraints. Don't have a backyard? Ask a friendly neighbour or relative for a small patch of theirs in return for some home grown produce, they may surprise you!

No planting yet, but some of my fruit trees started flowering yesterday.  They are covered in snow today and we are expecting a hard freeze tonight.  Hopefully this won't mean the end of my plums for this year.

CREATE: to fill a need or feed the soul. Create for ourselves or for others. Create something as simple as a handmade gift tag or something as extravagant as a fine knit shawl. Share project details and any new skills learnt here.

There has been a little bit of knitting and spinning as well as yogurt and kombucha making.

DISCOVER: Feed the mind by reading texts relevant to current interests. Trawl libraries, second hand shops or local book shops to find titles that fill the need. Share titles/authors of what is being read this month.

A found Wild Turkey Feather, Great Horned Owls and newborn Cottontail Rabbit Kits have all had me researching the answers to questions this month.

ENHANCE: community: Possibilities include supporting local growers and producers, help out at a local school/kindergarten, barter or foodswap, joining a playgroup or forming a walking or craft group. Car pooling where possible and biking/walking instead of driving. Even start up a blog if you haven't already - online communities count too! Or maybe just help out someone trying to cross the street! The rewards for your time are often returned tenfold.

I helped a friend move into their new house.

ENJOY: Life! Embrace moments with friends and family. Marking the seasons, celebrations and new arrivals are all cause for enjoyment. Share a moment to be remembered from the month here.

Early in the month, Hubba and I took an impromptu drive to "look" at property.  I had a feeling I should bring my camera.

I'm so glad I did.  We happened upon four LARGE herds of elk, including a small group of bachelors.  Most were just starting to grow their antlers for the year.

The elk are shedding.  The Fiber Artist in me wanted to "ask" for some samples, but a little self-awareness, and a cautioning Hubba kept me close to the car... or in the case of this last photo, inside the car... these guys were VERY close, VERY big and, of course, are VERY wild.

And just when I thought the wildlife viewing couldn't get any better... Great Horned Owls!

Gunnar, our now 11-week old Tibetan Mastiff is the source of a huge amount of giggles.

Wasabi, our 14-month old Tibetan Mastiff and I have started taking Conformation Classes.

I think she enjoys the one-on-one time together.  I know I do.  :-)

I am enjoying the snow, not exactly enjoying the resulting mud and looking forward to May when I hope to put some seeds in the ground.  Happy Spring. :-)

Brewing Kombucha at Home

Hubba loves Kombucha.  I like some Kombucha.

With Hubba's love, we've been bothered by the number of bottles going to the recycling bin.  We had tossed around the idea of making our own, but hadn't really gotten beyond talking and a small bit of reading.

Then my friend Kristi offered that she had some SCOBYs that would be ready to share, so I jumped at the chance.  First, having the starter rather than beginning from scratch and second, having Kristi's wisdom available made the whole process a little less scary.  ;-)

The donated SCOBY made it home in one piece and I set it up on a shelf in my office and covered it with a towel.  It's supposed to be kept in a warm, dark place, out of the way so it doesn't get disturbed and away from fruit, for some reason.

I left it there for nearly two weeks, checking on it occasionally.  It was exciting to see the "baby" SCOBY being formed.

I tasted it for the first time on day 12 of brewing.  It was a bit vinegary so I plan to start tasting the next batches sooner.  Also, as we approach summer and the house gets warmer, I expect the Kombucha will brew faster.

I pulled together two flavoring/recipe suggestions, made our next batch of black tea (Pekoe I brought home from India a few years ago) and brewed two 1/2 gallons.

Since I needed to reserve 2 cups of Kombucha from the first batch, that only left about 48 ounces available for flavoring.  I decided to use two pickle jars we had set aside a while back... Everything I read had me concerned about using soap and chlorinated tap water for cleaning and I'm not exactly sure how the "rinsing in vinegar" thing works yet.. at least without using large quantities of it.  The pickle jars are short enough to fit in my regular soup pot for water-bath sterilization... no soap, no vinegar and no bad bugs. :-)

The Grolsch style bottles are often recommended, but I also found resources that said both canning jars and re-using other jars is acceptable... as long as the head-space is minimized, the pressure is less likely to build up too much that the risk of "rapid seal failure" is minimized.  So far, so good.  ;-)

We had our first taste of the flavored Kombucha on Friday.  Hubba, who had been a skeptic about the whole process proclaimed with a big smile, "It tastes like Kombucha!"

A few resources I've found helpful: Delicious Obsessions, Food Renegade, Weston A Price, Cultures for Health, Fiber Fool.

Slow Living: March 2013

Somehow it's already time for the March installment for the Slow Living Project.  I guess that means it's been a busy month.  ;-)

NOURISH: Make and bake as much as possible from scratch. Ditch overpackaged, over-processed convenience foods and opt for 'real' food instead. Share favourite links/recipes/tips from the month here.

We've been experimenting in the food department, and I've been feeling little bits of inspiration... We've had several versions of Brussels Sprouts, which I've recently learned can be quite delicious and not at all like the nasty, yucky things my mother made me eat as a kid.  I made up a pork stir-fry and my first-ever leg of lamb.  We went out for a Korean feast with Hubba's coach, who is originally from Korea and tried all kinds of new-to-me foods.  We made Sushi Rice for the first time and experimented with a few new-to-us recipes.  Cooking is a lot more fun when you're feeling inspired.  :-)

PREPARE: Stockpile and preserve. Freeze extra meals or excess garden/market produce. Bottle/can, dehydrate or pickle foods to enjoy when they are not in season. Aim to reduce dependency on store bought items especially those known to contain BPA and other suspect additives. Stocking up on dry goods when prices are low counts too.

I finally got to do some garden preparations yesterday (!) and received my first ever SCOBY from a friend earlier this month.  There will be veggie planting and Kombucha making soon.  :-)

REDUCE/Reuse/Re-purpose/Repair: Cut down on household waste by re-using, re-purposing and repairing. A ladder into a strawberry planter? A sheet into a dress? Share ideas and project links here, allowing others to be inspired.

I don't believe we accomplished anything out of the ordinary in this category... but are taking some steps that should reduce a large amount of waste... fingers crossed that these plans work as intended.

GREEN: up our lives. Start (or continue!) using homemade cleaners, body products and basic herbal remedies. The options are endless, the savings huge and the health benefits enormous.

I might be reaching for this one... I use a Neti Pot fairly often.  Especially after sweeping, dusting or digging in the dirt.  It's just warm water and salt and keeps me from having to use allergy and cold meds, for the most part.  It keeps those sinus related headaches almost non-existent.  I do still occasionally get sick or have bad allergies but usually that's because I've been running myself too hard.

GROW: plant/harvest. What's growing this month? What's being eaten from the garden? Herbs in a pot, sprouts on a windowsill or and entire fruit/vegetable garden -opt for what fits space and time constraints. Don't have a backyard? Ask a friendly neighbour or relative for a small patch of theirs in return for some home grown produce, they may surprise you!

We had a fair amount of snow in March and a little bit of rain which has been wonderful.  It means though, that I wasn't able to get into my garden until yesterday, 3/31.  I, hopefully, will be able to get my early-season seeds into the ground next weekend.  In the meantime the pastures are turning green and the trees are on the verge of budding out.

CREATE: to fill a need or feed the soul. Create for ourselves or for others. Create something as simple as a handmade gift tag or something as extravagant as a fine knit shawl. Share project details and any new skills learnt here.

I have been spinning up a storm.... wool/mohair and Qiviut as well as a few other fibers that I have yet to share.  :-)

DISCOVER: Feed the mind by reading texts relevant to current interests. Trawl libraries, second hand shops or local book shops to find titles that fill the need. Share titles/authors of what is being read this month.

A little tease from a friend launched me into a mini research project about Qiviut and Muskox and an opportunity for a SCOBY from another friend  has had  me reading up on how to make Kombucha.

ENHANCE: community: Possibilities include supporting local growers and producers, help out at a local school/kindergarten, barter or foodswap, joining a playgroup or forming a walking or craft group. Car pooling where possible and biking/walking instead of driving. Even start up a blog if you haven't already - online communities count too! Or maybe just help out someone trying to cross the street! The rewards for your time are often returned tenfold.

I sent off my 3rd Pay-it-Forward Project... one more to go.  :-)

ENJOY: Life! Embrace moments with friends and family. Marking the seasons, celebrations and new arrivals are all cause for enjoyment. Share a moment to be remembered from the month here.

Puppy Therapy... in early March.

More Puppy Therapy.... at the end of March.  :-)

Even though we've been getting a fair amount of snow, and had our first two (!) wild fires already, I am loving all of the little signs of spring... red-winged black birds, Flickers that chatter like monkeys, shedding dogs, green-tinted fields, budding trees and lady bugs.

Happy Spring.

Remodeling: Bathroom #2, Finished

Finished

The bathroom remodel is finished now.  :-)

I still need to get a cabinet for the cubby behind the shower.

And the toilet is still behind the door.

But, I am so happy to have this finished.

Buy Local

As a manufacturer at heart and knowing that there aren't a lot of manufacturing options for me, I think it's important to support local manufacturing jobs.  It's difficult to find US manufactured products these days, but I did find a few.

• USA: tub, pedestal sink, tile, baseboard, paint, grout, mastic
• China: faucets, hoses, shower rod, curtain and hooks, light fixture
• Taiwan:  towel racks
• Germany: grout sponge
• Mexico: outlet, switches and switch plate
• Unknown: toilet, wall board, dew rock, primer

Environmental Impact

Remodels are tough.  A lot of trash is generated, both in the demolition and in the packaging of the new products.

• Reused: mirror, exhaust fan, wallboard and studs not affected by tub/shower removal.
• Saved for Later Use: Cabinet front, sides and drawers
• Salvaged for Re-Store:  sink, light fixture, shower doors
• Recycled: paper, cardboard and plastic packaging
• Landfill: everything else
• Continued Consumption: Both the new toilet and shower head are "low-flow" so we should see a reduction in water usage.  Also the Light Fixture Lamps are LEDs so there should be a reduction in electric usage as well.

So much nicer.  Fresh, clean, easy to clean and matching.  Time to start saving for the next project.  :-)

Slow Living: September 2012

It's definitely fall now.  The Cottonwoods have started dropping their leaves and the other trees are changing colors.  The nights are into the 50's and sometimes lower.  The days are still warm, but not nearly as hot.  I've started foregoing my flip-flops and shorts for long pants, socks and shoes.

I love the change to fall, almost as much as I love the change to spring.  :-)

So on to September's installment for the Slow Living Project.

NOURISH: Make and bake as much as possible from scratch. Ditch overpackaged, over-processed convenience foods and opt for 'real' food instead. Share favourite links/recipes/tips from the month here.

We continue to eat primarily from the Farmer's Market and our garden.  We also roasted the last of our Turkeys.  Our Turkey Farmer will be bringing his birds to butcher in the next month or so and we had to make room for a few in the freezer.  ;-)

PREPARE: Stockpile and preserve. Freeze extra meals or excess garden/market produce. Bottle/can, dehydrate or pickle foods to enjoy when they are not in season. Aim to reduce dependency on store bought items especially those known to contain BPA and other suspect additives. Stocking up on dry goods when prices are low counts too.

Canning season has continued... I've crossed the half-way mark with my apple tree by making a batch of applesauce pretty much every weekend, then the Mother-lode of apples when my Momma came for a visit.

I opened the last few bags of wood pellets that I bought at the end of last winter.  We use them on the alpacas' manure piles to soak up extra moisture.  It helps to keep the flies and aroma down during the summer.

We are almost finished with our Cria Watch.  I've made sure that we have plenty of clean, dry, old towels at the ready along with fresh checklists for each of the expected cria and a few other supplies in the event that they were needed...

Holly was born on Friday.  It was a bit scary as I had to intervene, twice,  and her momma wasn't super interested after that.  But they have everything worked out now and are both doing well.

Alpacamundo's Holly with Apple and Wonton.
Her momma, Frieda, is in the background

Then Pearl was a big surprise and born on Saturday.

Alpacamundo's Pearl with her momma Kocoa.  Daisy is looking on.

The dogs are learning how to be gentle with the cria.  This is only their second experience with cria and it's challenging not to be too excited.  ;-)

Wonton is ~100lbs and Holly is ~14lbs

Clementine (last year's cria) who last week still seemed small, is quite big next to the new babies.

Pearl and Clementine saying Hello while
Momma Kocoa and Auntie Daisy  supervise.

Only one more cria to go.  :-)

REDUCE/Reuse/Re-purpose/Repair: Cut down on household waste by re-using, re-purposing and repairing. A ladder into a strawberry planter? A sheet into a dress? Share ideas and project links here, allowing others to be inspired.

Hubba has started replacing door thresholds and weather stripping and fixed the-door-that-doesn't-always-close with a few wood screws from the-jar-of-old-screws-and-nails.

GREEN: up our lives. Start (or continue!) using homemade cleaners, body products and basic herbal remedies. The options are endless, the savings huge and the health benefits enormous.

I don't think we did anything that fits in this category over the last month.  :-/

GROW: plant/harvest. What's growing this month? What's being eaten from the garden? Herbs in a pot, sprouts on a windowsill or and entire fruit/vegetable garden -opt for what fits space and time constraints. Don't have a backyard? Ask a friendly neighbour or relative for a small patch of theirs in return for some home grown produce, they may surprise you!

This month zucchini, tomatoes, onions, watermelons, okra, red bell peppers and apples have all made it to our table.  We have finished off the beets and cucumbers.  I'm losing confidence in my chiles... I've had lots of blossoms, but very little fruit so far. :-(

Still  in progress... are spaghetti squash, pumpkins, acorn squash, butternut squash, rutabaga, okra, and apples.  :-)

We've also had some rain over the last week or more.  Everything is starting to green-up again... as the leaves are changing.  ;-)

CREATE: to fill a need or feed the soul. Create for ourselves or for others. Create something as simple as a handmade gift tag or something as extravagant as a fine knit shawl. Share project details and any new skills learnt here.

A little knitting and a whole lot of canning.  I had another apple pectin/jelly experiment that didn't go so well.  It jelled this time, but way too much so we made apple candy instead.  ;-)

DISCOVER: Feed the mind by reading texts relevant to current interests. Trawl libraries, second hand shops or local book shops to find titles that fill the need. Share titles/authors of what is being read this month.

I am planning to store some of our winter squash.  I haven't tried that before, so I continue to spend time with these two books.

We also spent a lot of time watching both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions.  I can't say that I really enjoyed them because I do get tired of the political rhetoric, but we feel it's important to listen to both sides.

ENHANCE: community: Possibilities include supporting local growers and producers, help out at a local school/kindergarten, barter or foodswap, joining a playgroup or forming a walking or craft group. Car pooling where possible and biking/walking instead of driving. Even start up a blog if you haven't already - online communities count too! Or maybe just help out someone trying to cross the street! The rewards for your time are often returned tenfold.

We donated a pair of over-stuffed sofas.

Hubba bought them from a friend soon after we moved into our house thinking he wanted them in his Man Room.  But the truth is, they were not our style, he never used them and they were in great shape.  Someone will be thrilled to find them at Goodwill, I'm certain.

ENJOY: Life! Embrace moments with friends and family. Marking the seasons, celebrations and new arrivals are all cause for enjoyment. Share a moment to be remembered from the month here.

The Paralympic coverage was big for us this month.  We enjoyed seeing amazing performance after amazing performance and seeing some of our friends do well.  We was very disappointed that they did not have live coverage of the Marathons, since that is our favorite event.  It was quite a bummer to wake up at 4:15 on the morning of the races and find that there was no coverage anywhere.  Of course we were delighted to see that Shirley Rilley from the US won Gold.  :-)

We also spent several days hanging out at the Farmer's Market.  Truth be told, we've been doing a lot of this over the entire summer, not just in September.  But one day this month we spent so much time hanging out and talking with people that we completely missed out on buying any produce. lol.

Lastly my Momma spent a weekend with us and we peeled and canned apples and chatted.  I love hanging out with my Momma.  She also went to the gun range with Hubba.  It was the first time she had fired her gun since before she retired from the Sheriff's Department about four years ago.  They had a "blast."  :-)

Slow Living: August 2012

It's hard to believe it's September already.  Our nights are getting cooler and the leaves are starting to change.  I heard the weather reporter say that today may be the last one in the 90's for the year.  I hope they're right. I'm ready for this brutal summer to become lovely fall.

So on to my August's installment for the Slow Living Project.  :-)

NOURISH: Make and bake as much as possible from scratch. Ditch overpackaged, over-processed convenience foods and opt for 'real' food instead. Share favourite links/recipes/tips from the month here.

Lots of Farmer's Market and Garden produce this month and a whole lot of home made peach jam on just about everything.

Fresh Farmer's Market "Peaches and Cream" Corn

Hubba also made a very memorable Colorado-inspired Jamaican Feast one night... Jerked Beef (top sirloin), (green) peas and rice and an oven roasted sweet potato.  Not exactly Jamaican Jerk, but it sure was tasty and reminded me of many, hot summer nights eating at a friend's restaurant so many years ago.

PREPARE: Stockpile and preserve. Freeze extra meals or excess garden/market produce. Bottle/can, dehydrate or pickle foods to enjoy when they are not in season. Aim to reduce dependency on store bought items especially those known to contain BPA and other suspect additives. Stocking up on dry goods when prices are low counts too.

Canning season has started.  First up was Palisade Peaches.  Quickly followed by homegrown apples and more homegrown apples.

Apples are one of the few things that are doing well for us this summer.  :-)

I am making plans for canning pumpkin and still hopeful that I will have enough tomatoes for saucing.

We also made the first half of our annual hay buy.

REDUCE/Reuse/Re-purpose/Repair: Cut down on household waste by re-using, re-purposing and repairing. A ladder into a strawberry planter? A sheet into a dress? Share ideas and project links here, allowing others to be inspired.

I have been filling old and donated canning jars with tasty goodness.  I have only had to purchase a few cases and of course lots of new lids.

GREEN: up our lives. Start (or continue!) using homemade cleaners, body products and basic herbal remedies. The options are endless, the savings huge and the health benefits enormous.

I had my first ever experience with Squash Bugs and resolved it with dish soap, water and diatomaceous earth.

GROW: plant/harvest. What's growing this month? What's being eaten from the garden? Herbs in a pot, sprouts on a windowsill or and entire fruit/vegetable garden -opt for what fits space and time constraints. Don't have a backyard? Ask a friendly neighbour or relative for a small patch of theirs in return for some home grown produce, they may surprise you!

This month zucchini, cucumber, tomato, watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe, radish, beets, onions, okra and apples have all made it to our table.

We finished off the radishes and there are just a few remaining beets still  in progress.  Coming up soon are spaghetti squash, pumpkin, acorn squash, butternut squash and rutabaga.  :-)

We finished the breeding protocol for our both of our alpaca maidens, had a little more work to do and finished that this week.  It's now time to schedule our vet to come out for the ultrasounds.  Fingers Crossed that they are pregnant.

We will officially start our cria watch in about 2 weeks for our girls who are due in October, but Frieda is looking especially pregnant and uncomfortable.  I'm thinking she might deliver early.

CREATE: to fill a need or feed the soul. Create for ourselves or for others. Create something as simple as a handmade gift tag or something as extravagant as a fine knit shawl. Share project details and any new skills learnt here.

Not much going on here unless you count jam, butter, sauce and a small bit of knitting. ;-)

DISCOVER: Feed the mind by reading texts relevant to current interests. Trawl libraries, second hand shops or local book shops to find titles that fill the need. Share titles/authors of what is being read this month.

I have learned a little about Pectin, Blossom End Rot and Squash Bugs.  I have also been spending a lot of time with these old books.

ENHANCE: community: Possibilities include supporting local growers and producers, help out at a local school/kindergarten, barter or foodswap, joining a playgroup or forming a walking or craft group. Car pooling where possible and biking/walking instead of driving. Even start up a blog if you haven't already - online communities count too! Or maybe just help out someone trying to cross the street! The rewards for your time are often returned tenfold.

I have given away some of the yummy goodness I've been canning.

ENJOY: Life! Embrace moments with friends and family. Marking the seasons, celebrations and new arrivals are all cause for enjoyment. Share a moment to be remembered from the month here.

An impromptu visit with a dear friend, a planned visit with cousins neither of which I've seen in a looooong time.  There was a trip to the County Fair and dinner with a new friend.  We enjoyed plenty of Olympic coverage and have been getting up early to watch some live Paralympic coverage online.

We also went to see President Obama speak at a nearby rally.

I hope you're enjoying the change of seasons and will consider joining in over at Slow Living Essentials.