The Wool Food Mama

Sore.

sore
–adjective

1.	physically painful or sensitive

I sat here for several minutes trying to sum up this entry with one word.  I just kept coming back to sore. lol.  Nothing like jumping into spring with both feet and taxing every dormant winter muscle to get a girl going. ugh.

There's a lot to be done around the yard this year and I'm pleased to report that I've knocked down 3 projects and I'm well on my way to #4.

First, I needed to hook up the (new) porch to the (old) path.  I just didn't have it in me to lay another 2 ton of quarry rock,  so when Brian suggested a pea rock path, I immediately agreed.  I wanted to use up some materials we've had sitting behind the garage tho.  So I put on my best thinking cap and came up with what, I think, were some delightful (non-traditional) paths. 

This is before, I'm standing on the porch.

And the after...the red retaining wall blocks were from an abandoned project from several years ago and the terra pots were from the shop.  I can't believe there are still more.  Brian added some pavers to ease walking in the pea rock, but I didn't realize that my photo was pre-paver until just now.  I think you'll get the idea.  I'm having a great time filling up the pots.

Total cost: 112.00 for 4 yards of pea rock and I barely made a dent.  ugh. More left overs. lol.




This next path was actually started about oh,  5 years ago. The cedar rounds are cut from a fallen red cedar tree from a construction site.  It was destined for a burn pile when I showed up with my pop and a chain saw.  I lugged those logs home and kept them for various uses over the years.  Then last year, I asked my pop to cut them into 6 inch "bricks". 

I used cardboard (which will be removed once the grass grows) to hold back the dirt and used some left over pea rock from project #1 to set the cedar bricks, , grey retaining wall blocks left over from front yard landscaping., tamp it all down.  In and out in 2 days.  It probably should have been 3 days but I get a bit obsessive. lol.  Total cost....zero. 




In between all of this I tidied up behind the garage so that I could get a real idea of what kind of materials we had to draw from.  No picture.  You'll just have to trust me that I got it done. lol. 

On to project #4...the chicken coop. 
Here's the floor. lol.  This will be almost entirely reharvested materials too.  Boy, there's a lot of stuff in the rafters of a garage.  Dane got his first wood working lesson in the middle of my carpentry follies too.  Double bonus.

This project is getting my (nearly) undivided attention now.  As you can see, our girls have feathered out and it's time to move them out of the mudroom. :o)



Ok, off for some aspirin and Deadliest Catch.  Thank goodness for tivo. 

Lantern

lantern
 –noun

1.	a transparent or translucent, usually portable, case for enclosing a light and protecting it from the wind, rain, etc.

I

I'm not done with the blue jars yet. lol.  Actually, I haven't even gotten through half of them. 

I remember years ago, when I was just starting to develop an appreciation for vintage pieces, waaay back when we still called stuff antiques.  Blue Ball jars were completely out of my price range.  Especially if they actually had a top.  Getting so many last week at the auction, for just pennies, was such a fun circle for me.  Patience.  Appreciation.  Many things.

I've put the wool on the back burner for a couple of weeks so that I can tend to some landscaping projects and gardening...and my chickens of course.  But my need to make stuff keeps cropping up, just like the dandelions in the front yard.  So, in the middle of my path-building, I stopped to make lanterns for the tree by the porch.

(forgive the shady picture.  I was having fun with the new edit features on photobucket.)

The idea is to put just enough sand in the jars so you're able to reach the tea lights with a match, yet keep the sand low enough that the heat doesn't wick too high out of the jar. Madison, the 11 year old, insists that I'm going to burn down the tree tho. eh, where's your sense of adventure.

Gusty and I had to take a break from the yard 2 days ago after she woke up with a fever.  The break was welcomed but the circumstances could have been different.  I hate that my girl was sick but this doesn't look so rough does it?



While she made dora drive around with her mama, I decided to give the singer a test drive.  Just a little dolly quilt for Gusty.

She runs like a top.  *swoon*

Terrarium instructions

Remember all those bottles & jars from the auction?  Well, I've been having the best time transforming them into moss terrariums.  The kids helped a bit but, after one or two, they lost interest.  I, on the other hand, peacefully sat and made about a dozen of them. serious therapy.

Supply List:

• Pea rock.  Rinsed and still wet
• Potting soil.
• Moss
• Dry sphagnum moss.
• Assorted spoons and skewers.
• Assorted Jars with covers

Fill a clean jar, about 1/4 to 1/3 full of (still wet) pea rock.  I use wet rock because it seems to be just enough moisture to start out the terrarium.  It's easy to over water, so I just start with wet the rock and skip watering completely.

On top of the rock, add a very thin layer of dry sphagnum moss.  It's purpose is to help keep the soil from settling into the rocks.  It's easiest if you pre-shape it. If you just push it into the jar, you'll have stray dry strands sticking out all over the place.  Take a small amount, flatten between your hands, then fold under the strays so that you have a circle of sphagnum...like a sphagnum pizza. lol.  Place it into the jar on top of the rocks.

Add potting soil, about an inch deep.

Now you're ready for your green moss.  I keep about 1/2 to 3/4 inch of original dirt attached to the bottom of the moss chunk.  If there's a small plant growth in the moss, like grass or a tiny weed, I leave it, just to see what happens.  Drop it into the jar and use spoons or skewers to position it. Once positioned, gently push it into the potting soil.  This is a good time to be handy with chopsticks.

You can add some larger rocks, marbles, or broken shards of terra cotta pots for "decoration" but it's not required of course. 

Cover and place in bright, indirect, sunlight. 

In about a day or so, your terrarium may look like it's about to rain.  I leave it be for several days and see if it adjusts its moisture content on its own.  If it still looks too wet after 5 days, take the cover off for a few hours, then replace it.

It should be wet and start regulating itself but with a new terrarium, the goal is to avoid mold growth. Once it finds its own balance, watering will be rare. 

Sources:
Pea rock.  I got a gallon bucket from the garden supply center for 40 cents but you can find it at playgrounds or pet shops too.
Moss.  Check the northside of your own house, along the foundation, you may find a little pocket of moss.  Otherwise, head for a creek bed or heavily wooded forrest.  Some garden centers will sell it too.
Sphagnum.  I raided a handful from the fake ficus tree stuffed in the corner. lol.  Also available at craft shops and garden centers. 

After they're a couple of weeks old, you should know if they're going to make it and can start sharing them with friends.  They'll live and die and change, so don't be discouraged, just plant another.

auction

auction
-noun

1.

Also called a publicly held sale at which property or goods are sold to the highest bidder. Auction fever has returned. My mom, sister and I used to frequent country auctions, back in the day.  Mom and I realized, while sitting in the warm sun of a Saturday morning, that "back in the day" was nearly 7 years ago. If the auction bill had read chenille, fostoria or just had really good pictures, the 3 of us were there.  Then suddenly you're collecting children instead of glass and a few missed weekends turns into 7 years.  Then your little get bigger and you drag them along. I stumbled on this auction bill and the old fever hit with a fury.  There was not just one vintage sewing machine, but a whole slew of them.  Amongst other things of course. While I've been doing my "just one thing" every day, I haven't been so great about sharing my success in blog.  So to make up for it, I'm taking you to a country auction... There isn't a preview day for property auctions so you have to arrive about an hour early.  This was a huge auction and we were out of practice.  We probably should have gotten there even earlier. Still, this is what you see when you drive or walk up......vintage gold. Where to start?  Anywhere.   And they're off.... Everyone is excited, even the 4 year old that just wants a chocolate donut. Restlessness settles in.  Time to look for more goods. This thing stared at me for about 5 hours....I actually tried to talk myself into it.  Not sure how I would have gotten it home in (on?) the Honda but it WAS tempting. Man, they're really making the wait for those sewing machines painful.  Time to bribe the daughter so we bought a box of buttons for 3 bucks. Finally! The machines were up and gusty wanted that "little ticket"  so she could get some more stuff. lol.   Um no.  That's my bidding card.  Hands off.  The 'chines are up.  Shuuuuuush, I can't hear the bid.  Ack. Oh geez, why is she flipping out right now?  Somehow we survived it and and my mom walked away with the featherweight 221 after a frenzied bidding war.  Like she was going to let someone else win it...ha ha ha, she laughs at danger. *snort*  Everyone was still dazed from the featherweight auction and I managed to sneak in and get the 201 for 50 dollars.   SQUEEEEE.  I was so freaking excited.  The guy set it right on my lap and I almost sunk through the concrete. It weighs a ton.  But I didn't care, she was MINE.  All mine.  mine.mine.mine.  And more of the haul.... The little girl in the front is a Kleanser Kate.  I've wanted one for probably 10 years.  She's a shaker bottle; fill it with cleanser and keep it on your sink.  Very cute and appropriately named.   I actually had to bid on a scuzzy old spittoon to get her.  She was thrown in as added incentive to bid on the spittoon.  2 bucks and I left the spittoon behind. This 5.00 toy was probably my  favorite buy of the whole day.  I set is up the minute I got home.  It's a tin filler farm thing of some sort.  I may live in the country and have chickens but I'm still a city girl so the farm terminology escapes me. ha.  Pour stuff in and it pours out the spout.  This probably barely fits into my "just one thing" category except I include mental health in my formula...and I have serious goodness coming from the transformation and repurposing of my purchases. Stay tuned....

poo

poo
 –noun  Informal.
excrement.

You read that correctly.  poo.  It was bedding changing day so I decided to re-use the chicken poo and bedding on the flower beds.

Apparently chicken poo is very rich in nitrates and that's good for plants.  I think.  Or maybe I'm just making it up.  Which is entirely possible since I can barely make anything grow.  honestly.  Well, giant zinnia will grow for me.  And grass will grow in my strawberry beds...but that's about it. 

I'm that neighbor everyone hates.  I let the dandelions win and rather enjoy watching my (human) girls pick their fill in an ocean of yellow.

But I have great gear and can mow like a pro.  Brian added to my arsenal today by giving me my very own wagon for my birthday.  He and number 1 son even assembled it on the spot.  I was thrilled.  Even took it for a maiden voyage....

While I worked at weeding the flower beds, Dane whined and pleaded for me to let him drive the mower.  If you can start it, you can drive it.  Damn if he didn't get it going.  I didn't think he weighed enough to push the clutch AND activate the safety weighted seat.  But he did.  Boys can just do that I think.  If it has an engine, they can start it.  I like that about boys.  That gift they have with engines and motors.  Especially when one of those boys shows up when I'm on pull number 52 on the blasted tiller.

He's rather pleased with himself....

So, I didn't make any wishes this year.  I didn't have to.  Brian and the kids already made them all come true.  Who needs a gratitude journal when you have a family like this. 

divide

–verb (used without object) 

10.	to become divided or separated.

11.	to share something with others.

I put my foraged pots to use immediately;  I uprooted a perennial and divided it 5 times.  The actual name of the flower escapes me but it gives up a robust velvet flowering late summer.   

I will scatter the plants around the yard and also gift 1 or 2 to my mom.  She's always happy to receive a new plant for her gardens. 

Just one thing today kept me from heading to the nursery (gas), picking up some plants (cash) in plastic pots (packaging).  And lets not forget the time saved along with the gardening lesson for my 2 girls that hovered around me while I worked....trying to talk me into buying a farm.  lol. 

Bring home 10 chickens and they want a whole farm.  I never should have said that I've been thinking about "needing" a goat. 

Note to self; quit thinking out loud. 

Forage

–verb (used without object) 

5.	to wander or go in search of provisions.

6.	to search about; seek; rummage; hunt:

7.	to make a raid.

Yesterday, I went out to our car lot  to forage through the old buildings out  back.  Our land was previously used as a vegetable stand, so there is still a scattering of old agricultural buildings on the site.   

Most of the out-buildings are filled with cobwebs, creepy crawlies and ghost stories.  But the deteriorated greenhouse was worth a look about.  I was spurred on by my personal commitment to do "just one thing" every day which would lesson my impact on.....well, lesson my impact on just about everything.  The family budget, global warming, my carbon imprint. eh, that's too many  new buzz-words. 

I think, like most people, the nation's (world's) issues seem too huge to give much considerate thought.  It all seems overwhelming; War, weakened dollar, rising grain and fuel prices... I too, had become guilty of going about the American Way; pretend there isn't an elephant in the living room.   

I decided to put political agendas aside, and think about my contribution.  What was I doing for my nation?  Why was I waiting for some democratic candidate to change my life? 

Then it occurred to me, several months ago, that if I do Just One Thing, every day, I can make a difference.  It may be small, and in the grand scheme of things, insignificant.  But to me, it's marked.  I'm not moving mountains or scaling tall buildings, but I am making a difference.  Add it up and it equates to 365 things a year.  It's my alternative savings account.  My nest egg for my children's future.  It's leading the elephant out the front door.

So back to the forage.  I knew there were pots in the greenhouse.  I'd just forgotten how many.  All weathered and worn with old stories to tell.  I brought home as many as I could carry in one arm load and left the rest for another day. 

The foraging saved me a few dollars. It put to use perfectly good product that had been sitting idle.  It kept me from entering (and supporting) the mind-numbing-super-shopping-center. score!

 

I'm in love with linen.

...and poplin and embroidery and voile.  Did I spell that correctly?  No matter.  Airy is in and wool has to wait for now.  It'll find me again when the first brushes of chilled autumn air come back.  Until then, I'm marveling at the riches of flax and cotton.

I finished this bag and listed it on Etsy today.  I've been working on it off and on for days. The running quilt stitches were better than any meditation I've found and it was difficult knowing when to quit.  Great for mental health, not so good for a finished textile. ha.

The patchwork is some extra from my patchy produce and the lining is a delightful print I picked up a couple weeks ago. It's such a neat play on mint and red.
 

In other news, the peonies bloomed!!  I love pressing my nose  into the petals and breathing in deeply.  Shake off the ants first, of course.  It ranks right up there with the lilac blooms. 

I tried to capture a picture of a freshly cut bunch of peonies and look who sauntered into my picture.  Old crabby patty himself.  Merlin is just so bent out of shape about Kiki's arrival.  He's been such a turd.  He looks nice here tho, if a bit fuzzy...

Missing a friend.....

It's been so hard this past week.  Trying to be online with an absent pal.  Sweet Patsy Girl passed away and my heart is heavy with grief and sadness.  I can't even imagine the grief her beloved husband and children are going through right now.  She was so young and pretty and funny and she always made me smile. 

I planted some flowers today.  A little "childs garden" for my friend.  Madison helped me arrange, dig and mark all the plants. Madison always asked about my 'computer friend'.....how she was feeling, if she was getting better. 

Words can't really express what I'm feeling right now so I'll let my garden sing.

Here's the little area I set aside just for Patsy.

Some of the flowering plants I bought for her last week....

 

My peony plant ready to burst with bloom.  I have just another day or so to get some support in place or it will topple from the hefty blossoms.  I can't wait to teach Gusty how to shake off the ants and bury her nose into the fragrant petals. 

The ever dependable Hosta.  These giants are 3 feet across.

A special little treat discovered while pruning up the river birch.  A young mama robin dutifully warming a single egg.

Augusta Bleu wearing her mama made and throwing snowballs.  I love these little dress sets.  Full twirly skirts and a little matchy match blouse.  She loves them too and wears them straight off the line.  It warms my heart so to see my children wearing clothes I made.