Slow Living: August 2014

It's almost as if it turned August and Autumn on the same day.  We've had a few (very) warm days, but the nights are cooling off, the air is crisper and the early trees are changing their colors.

I also secured and started a great new Day Job this month, so I have a lot to talk about in my August report 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.

The Farmer's Market continues to be a favorite way to spend a morning.  We have a few vendors that we visit each week and often meet up with friends when we're there.  Then the delicious vegetables and treats are enjoyed at home during the week.  I feel less disappointed that I did not plant a garden when we shop at the Farmer's Market.

Hubba made a Shrimp Creole feast when we had southern house-guests.  With one being from Louisiana, it was a risky move, but he outdid himself and our near-Cajun guest was pleased.

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.

With starting a new Day Job this month, I prepared several meals in advance and froze them.  Also two lug boxes of peaches have been put up for the winter.

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.

Earlier this month I started reviewing my blog drafts.... there were well over 200 started but not yet published blogs posts!  I spent quite a lot of time reviewing, revising, consolidating and deleting... and now I'm down to .... let's just say less than 200.  This one is going to take more time, but I do feel better knowing there are only 2 pages of drafts instead of 3.  ;-)

I also cleaned out and organized my closet so I have a bag of things ready to take to the thrift shop.

Hubba fixed up and traded his old lawn mower for some help he needed with his racing chair.

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.

Since I am no longer working remotely I felt I should revise my work attire inventory.  I didn't feel it was appropriate to show up looking like I just finished my farm chores.  ;-)  I did most of my shopping at two thrift/consignment shops.  It was my first time really shopping for clothes since we moved to the farm in 2009.  I am happy to say that both shops were lovely and that I no longer miss my favorite such shop in New Mexico.

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've been watching my cotton bloom and begin developing bolls this month... I'm so excited for the lint to come in.  :-)

My apple tree is testing the strength and flexibility of it's limbs.  I'm certain we will have plenty of apples to share when they are ready.

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 continued to spin in August.

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.

It's been heavy on the discovery this month, learning about my new job.

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.

My Momma came over to help process peaches one weekend and another friend helped me handle our dogs at a big show.

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.

A new Day Job, a Dog Show, putting up peaches, a day trip to my childhood home, the county fair... all wonderful and fun things this month.

Slow Living: July, 2014

I have really enjoyed this last month off from having a Day Job.  I feel as if I've gotten back in touch with who I am.  Feeling peaceful and relaxed; I have not felt this way in a very long time.  Almost as if I'm actually Slow Living.  It's nice that we have some savings and that the job outlook is good.  Both have certainly helped me managed to not be too stressed about this transition.  ;-)

So here's my July installment for the Slow Living Project, now being hosted by Greenhaven.

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.

I've made it to the Farmer's Market several times last month and the beets have started coming in.  So aside from the the usual early season fruits and lettuces we are now enjoying delicious roasted beets a few times each week... one of my very favorite vegetables.  ;-)

I've been cooking... I mentioned last month that I'd be starving if it weren't for Hubba taking such good care of me... but now, without the Day Job, I feel clear in my mind and able to spend some time working in the kitchen.  I roasted our last turkey and have prepared many egg and lentil dishes coupled with the lovely veggies from the farmer's market.

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've spent a lot of time this month on the clearing out side of preparations... there is still a fair amount left in our freezer so we'll continue working thru this.

I canned two batches of cherries.  I was attempting to make preserves and conserve, but I made delicious sauce instead.  lol.

Some chicken and turkey bones we've been saving are now stock.

I have also been washing fleeces and preparing roving.  The spinning bug has a hold of me in a big way, so I want to make sure I have plenty of prepared roving to feed it.  ;-)

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've washed a few fleeces this month which helped me use up nearly all of the old liquid soaps we had around.

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.

Deodorant experiments? I did try a coconut-based deodorant that I found at our farmer's market.  I put a sample on the back of my hand... it tingled and turned red.  So it certainly would be an issue in more sensitive areas.... At least I have confirmed that no homemade products can include coconut oil.  :-/

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 this month to spend in the garden.  I had it, but spent it in other ways.  So I'm happy that my cotton seedling is doing well and my apples are growing.  I'm looking forward to processing both of them in October. :-)

The birds devoured my cherries.  I've pretty much resigned to the fact that I will never have any home-grown cherries.  :-/  The birds eat them all a few days before they turn ripe.  But I do really like the  tree, so perhaps I'll just plant a few more, and the birds will be happy.  ;-)

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.

July has been primarily about spinning.

Although, I did finish a hat and started another project.

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 been admiring so many peoples' adventures in making their own sourdough bread over the last year or so.  Sourdough is by far my favorite and dinner with a friend helped me realize that the starter doesn't need constant care and feeding.  She gave me a small amount of starter and a link to a good source for instructions.

Wish me luck!

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.

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

We were gifted a bunch of fresh sour cherries and a sourdough starter.  Several friends and colleagues have been working to help me find a good day job.

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 last month has really been wonderful being able to pretend to be a full-time farmer and fiberista.  :-)

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.

Incandescent vs. LED: June 2014

We replace light bulbs at an astonishing rate in this house.

I don't know why, but it seems to be much more often than our previous house.  So I decided it was time for another experiment.

A couple of years ago, I bought a package of Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFL).  The packaging was a hard plastic blister pack that was nearly impossible to get into.  Then after I cut myself getting into it's fortress, the light they emitted was unsatisfying.

We have one in Hubba's closet.  He says it doesn't bother him, but it makes me nauseous.

That CFL has been in place for at least a year, maybe longer.  I did not write down when I replaced that bulb.  But I have refused to buy any more.

So yesterday and today, I replaced two sets of bulbs.  One each with a traditional Incandescent and one each with a LED version.

Both sets are on a common switch so they will be used for the same number of hours and turned off and on the same number of times.

I added a beautiful sticky note to each to keep track of when the bulb was replaced and which ones are my test bulbs.

The bathroom has 40W Globe Lights.

The Living Room has 60W Traditional Incandescent... although, the LED version is only 43W.

As of right now, Day 1 and 2, there is not a difference in the feeling emitted from each light bulb.

The LED packaged bulbs were significantly easier to get into than the CFL but not as easy to open as the Incandescent.

The bathroom LED package said the bulb should last more than 7 years and the Living Room Bulb more than 22 years.

At about $10 for 3 Incandescent vs. about the same for each LED, we shall see if it's worth it.  ;-)

Fiber Arts Friday: Stripey Scarf

A few weeks ago Vivian over at Bits and Pieces gave away a scarf she made.  It was her "car project."  Only working on it while waiting or being a passenger.

I love the idea of a "car project" to make those few minutes here and there useful, but I'm rarely in my car anymore.... or on an airplane for that matter.  So I have a cubby with a go-bag for each in-progress-project and just grab which ever one suits my fancy when I think I may have some waiting or passenger time.

Anyway, I am the lucky recipient of Vivian's beautiful work.  It has made an appearance at a couple of Christmas parties already and will be keeping me warm while doing farm chores this winter.

She was also kind enough to send some of her yarn scraps.  I had told her I was wanting to make something of a yarn quilt, but didn't have enough yarn in similar weights.

But now I have a little more to work with.... it might be time to start putting a real project plan together.  :-)

Happy Fiber Arts Friday and I hope you're having a wonderful Holiday season.  :-)

Slow Living: February 2013

I'm excited that it's March.  Generally it's our snowiest month, but also it's the beginning of Spring.  The trees are getting ready to bud.  The Climbing Tree has a subtle red hue.  It's one of the last to leaf out, but it's definitely getting ready.

We've seen some of the "summer" birds and the dogs are acting different.  Spring is fast approaching, but for now, it's time for February'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.

I had a break-through with my broth last month, so this month I wanted to focus on making some well-brothed soups and stews... Pho, Shepherd's Pie and Pot Pie in particular, but I didn't make any of those.  Maybe next month.  ;-)

I did roast some whole chickens this month though.  It's my new thing.  ;-)  It's not exactly less expensive then chicken pieces at the super market, which I find surprising.  But we have access to a Free-Range, Organic, Local, Chicken CSA that I'm interested in joining this summer.  So I want to make sure I know what I'm doing.  Roasting Chickens is not quite the same as Turkey, but I'm getting the hang of it.

We had a few wonderful meals out and some interesting meals at home.  Hubba turned the ground Kangaroo I mentioned a few months back into a curry dish.  It was quite good and our very first time eating Kangaroo.  Our market is still carrying the ground meat, so I suspect we'll be able to get it pretty regularly.

I renewed my membership to my yoga studio, but only made it to class once.  It sure is tough to get re-started.

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.

It's hard to believe that we could be able to start planting seeds in about 2 weeks.  A couple of weeks ago, I would have said, "sure, no problem."  But now that we're under a blanket of snow, it's a little harder to imagine.  ;-)  That being said, I have been refining the plans for my garden.

I acquired a pressure canner and put up my first-ever shelf-stable chicken stock.

I've neglected working on our emergency preparations... other than checking the weather and ensuring we have provisions for extended cold snaps, power outages and (finally) a good amount of snow.

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.

With living on a farm now and not "going" to an office as often, the end-of-life line for goods is in a whole different place.  Items that would have been replaced because they aren't good for wearing to the office, or even to the grocery store have been held on to and used for much longer.  This has been a month of retiring many of these extremely worn out items to the rag pile... mostly notably a pair of jeans that quite literally were being held together by a small number of threads. lol.

Miss Noodle started blowing her coat about 10 days ago.  She's nearly finished shedding and the other girls are showing signs of starting soon.

I have been collecting as much fur as I can.  She'll stand while I pluck her, but after a few minutes she gets annoyed and will go play with her sisters.

I have spun Tibetan Mastiff before and have plans for a shawl/scarf for myself.

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.

Still nothing in this category.  :-/

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!

Even though it's still, technically, winter there is a lot to share here... Miss Wasabi, our third Tibetan Mastiff, is one year old and bigger than The Alpaca Dog.

The cria are four months old and sometimes a little lazy at nursing time...

It's also been a month for babies... Early in the month, Hubba and I went to a local Tibetan Mastiff breeder to meet his puppies.  These guys were 1 month old and the time and ridiculously cute.  This "little" girl was climbing around Hubba's wheel and then stopped for a nap.

Then my newest niece was born and the puppies we've been waiting for were also born.

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 knit two Pay-it-Forward projects, began working on my Wingspan again and spun a bit of yarn.

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.

Hmm :-/

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 finished and sent off the first two of my Pay-it-Forward projects.

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.

Many mornings were nice enough for Hubba and I to enjoy coffee on the stoop, overlooking the alpacas and dogs.  It's a lovely way to start the day... and speaking of days, they are getting longer... I mean noticeably longer... as in, it's still light at 6:00pm.

I went to the Rocky Mountain Cluster of Dog Shows with my brother, SIL and one of their littles, puppy therapy, dinner with friends, a surprise observed-holiday at the day job and a proper snow day where the boys made a snow fort.

Happy March everyone.  I hope you enjoy the coming change of seasons.  :-)

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: June 2012

After April and May, I feel like my life is regaining it's balance.  So I've had more time for other things.  It is pretty surprising that this is my fifth installment for the Slow Living Project (7/1/12: updated link) already.

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.

My yoga studio re-opened.  Yay!  And a friend of mine has opened her own yoga studio.  Double-Yay.  So there's plenty of organized yoga back in my life.  :-D

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 went to the Estes Park Wool Market earlier this month and picked up a stash of yummy fibers in preparation for the Tour de Fleece that starts today.  :-)

camel + merino

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 didn't think much was going on in this category, but's it really is surprising when you stop and think about it.  We've been doing a lot of fixing around here... air conditioning, faucet, garbage disposal, car and the FOT.

Our house was built in 1974.  Which makes this toilet and almost everything else pretty much 38 years old... so we will be fixing lots of things for the foreseeable future.  :-/

F*&#ing Olive-colored Toilet

Between Hubba and I, we had purchased and tried a large number of guts for the FOT.  None of which worked.  I was ready to replace the whole thing, even though we're not ready to embark upon the whole bathroom remodel just yet.  Then Hubba asked our neighbor, The Plumber, to stop by.  He took one look at the FOT, went back to his shop and came back a few minutes later with the exact-right-part.  Sometimes it's just better to call a professional.  ;-)

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.

Regarding the algae in our alpaca's water troughs: both of the goldfish have passed.  I'm not certain what's going on with the snails.  When I last scrubbed, I found only one.  So I need to find a way to get oxygen into the water without  running extension cords from the house.  Is anyone aware of a small, solar-powered bubbler?

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!

While we aren't growing them on purpose, the weeds have been growing very well.  So now that shearing season is over, we have turned much of our attention to them and enlisted a little help from one of Hubba's colleagues.  It has been a lot of pulling and cutting with absolutely no chemical use what-so-ever.  I think we are ahead in the game again. :-)

 

On to the things we're growing on purpose... most of our seeds have sprouted since last time.  We have tomatoes, squash blossoms, onions, beets watermelon, pumpkin and chiles all growing well.  I think we are ready to start harvesting radishes.  Mmmm, maybe I'll try a couple later today.  :-)

Spaghetti Squash

A very bold robin ate all of my nearly-ripe cherries and the rabbits have eaten all of my beans.  Grrr

I have a few plums and peaches and a ton of apples, so I need to get busy on the bird deterrent soon.

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 fixed my Challah Socks and cast on a Wingspan.

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.

This one makes me laugh... Completely out of desperation because I was behind on laundry, I discovered that an old pair of running shorts is waaaay more comfortable than my cotton walking shorts when it's 100F.  I don't know why I haven't been wearing them before.  lol.


Also The Alpaca Dog discovered that he CAN catch mice.  Every morning, while I'm doing the alpaca chores, he heads over to the hay stack and hunts.  It's pretty funny watching 95-pounds of 10-year-old shar-pei and rottweiler chasing mice.  But this week, he caught one.  Certainly there's a lesson in believing you can do something even though the odds are against you in there.

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.

Anticipation Necklace - photo courtesy Criffin Designs

I wrote a post in support of a colleague of mine who is an exceptional artist.  He's offering a terrific blog special for two more months.  You should check it out... especially if you like turning old things into new, beautiful things... which I know you do since you're reading this post.  ;-)

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.

Our family has gotten so big, that we now have "All the Birthday" celebrations a few times a year.  This month, most of us made it to my parents house to celebrate 17 birthdays.  Definitely a fun time.  :-)

Hubba is at the USA Track and Field Trials for the London Paralympics.  It's been years of hard work and sacrifice to reach this event.  I'm excited, nervous, anxious and proud.  It's almost surreal that we will know for sure if we're going to London in just a few days.

Lastly, I am happy to report the that High Park Fire, which started earlier this month, is expected to be fully contained this weekend.  We haven't seen a defined smoke plume in several days.  It's been more of a general haze.

We can't see everything in the distance, but it's whole lot better than it was.

It will still be some time before this fire is completely out and the haze is gone, but containment is a very big deal.  And for that, I am very happy.

Slow Living: May 2012

Today I share my fourth 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.


I am very lucky that Hubba does most of the cooking in our household.  He makes sure that I am well fed and he loves a Farmer's Market perhaps even more than I do.  So he trekked over to the Boulder Farmer's Market for Mother's Day produce and then together we made a yummy meal of grilled lamb, asparagus, sweet potatoes and salad for my mom.  Then our local Farmer's Market opened a week later.


I've had a lull in my yoga practice.  The studio is moving and shearing season is winding down, so I suspect I'll be back on track shortly.  :-)


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 met a local Cattle Shearer at the feed store earlier this month.  We use the same equipment and he has the sharpening equipment for the combs and cutters... which means I may no longer have to send my combs and cutters out of state for sharpening... I need to give him a call and set that up.


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 finished pulling out the old T-Posts that were used in a previous owner's electric fence and I took a few to build a climbing structure with some used baling twine for the impending peas and beans.

I'm also experimenting with goldfish and snails in our alpacas' water troughs.  The theory is that they will eat the algae and I won't have to scrub out the troughs as often, and therefore won't waste as much water.

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 have been talking with some of my shearing clients about donating fiber to Matter of Trust to help in oil spill cleanup.  Especially when they feel the fiber we are shearing is not usable for their own pursuits.


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 wasn't sure it was going to happen, but I started and finished planting our garden.  :-)  It feels so good to have the plants in the ground.


Also our apple, cherry and plum trees have fruit on them.  The cherries are just starting to change color.  :-)

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.

Somehow, in the midst of the crazy day job, shearing season and website work, I managed to knit a few rounds and spin a few inches.

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.

Being an Alpaca and Llama Shearer means I am able to visit other farms and learn something about their methods and tools that I can pass on to other breeders or incorporate myself.


But one of the biggest perks of being a shearer is that I see a lot of animals up close.  I have my hands in their fleece and get to know a lot about their personality during the shearing process.  This especially means I can see herdsires and their offspring.  Which means I have added three possible herdsires to my breeding program.  One is a Junior (unproven) who I will definitely use.  The other two, I would like to use but need to check into their ancestry before I make any further decisions.


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.

Hubba's car gave up the ghost in March... just a few thousand miles short of 200,000.  He loved that car and was trying to get every last bit out of it.


We had been going back and forth between donating and repairing.  So with it officially dead, we donated it to Colorado Public Radio.  They hauled it away for us and will be selling it for parts at auction.  RIP dear Saab.  You were a good car.

Also I was given the Liebster Award by City Garden Country Garden, who I met through this Slow Living Community and shared it with a few smaller blogs that I very much enjoy.


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.

While I have been a tiny bit too busy this past month.  Much of it has been outside working with alpacas, llamas and their people.  Which is really one of my favorite things to be doing.


Have a great month... and if you're thinking about joining in, please do.  :-)