Country life

These are the ratty, old coveralls I put on the other day so I could shimmy under the house to try to find the mouse that had died somewhere up under there. I did it partly on a dare, (husbands you know) but partly because I said I would, because I could, and because sometimes I like doing things I have no business doing as long as I know no one will get hurt. It's my chance to feel like a pioneer, a frontierswoman, you know way out here in the boonies, 5 miles from the suburban mega mall in my farmhouse, crawling through the dirt in a two-foot crawlspace under 80 years of timber and spiderwebs looking for rodent carcasses. Of course it was yucky, but then, what would you say you've done lately that really reminded you that you were alive? That's what I thought. And no, to answer your question, I didn't find a cotton pickin' thing.

Out and about

It all looks so different in winter. Cold, withdrawn, asleep. Even on a near 50 degree day, yesterday, which has suddenly turned into snow, sleet and ice today. Only a few short months to go and I can pry myself from the woodstove more often. How I love that woodstove.

The dogs could care less about woodstoves.



The cat on the other hand only ventures out on 50 degree days and stays plastered to the woodstove on others. She's 14 1/2. We'll allow it.

She and everything else seems to wish for the sun's return, even the chickens who are easily tricked by a light into laying.

I'm making plans to increase the flock,

the girls are almost two which I hear is nearing the tail end of their prime laying years. I suppose that could be good, or bad, depending on how you look at it. At any rate, some youngsters are in the works.



And since I can't bring myself to kill anyone (it's a bit early yet), you may just see them aging gracefully and dying the old fashioned way, as the new brood takes over laying. I expect some ruffled feathers. The henhouse can be a rough place.

However you look at it

From where I sit change is certain.

From where I sit I see good things all around. I only hope that at a time such as this, where we find ourselves standing at the begining of a new path, that what we want is truly what we need.

One thing is for sure, that if you told me twenty years ago what my life would look like today, I wouldn't believe you. And that's the truth.

The watermark

Hello again. It's good to be back with new pictures for you, new finds by way of that little red bell up there, and new listings in the shop. You'll also start to notice (unfortunately) a watermark accompanying my photos due to the pirating of my product photos by some (yes, more than one) companies based out of China. All I can picture is the poor soles in some sweatshop somewhere being forced to try to reproduce my stuff. Wish it weren't so.

But here I am being forced in a way to protect what's mine and when I pause to look at the final product I'm struck by the notion that it looks a bit more professional and I am pleased. But I'm not the final judge of course, what do you think?

Favorites

I love sifting back through old pictures. These are just a few of my favorites from the past year. While I tend to think of them as a record of what is or what was, I'm struck by the thought that they really just serve as a record of change. The kids look different every time I turn around as does the sky, the garden, really everything. Each shot is only a glimpse of a fleeting moment, but they stay with me for as long as I choose to keep them. Enjoy.

Merry Christmas

The children stood trembling with excitement by our bed this morning at 5:50 a.m.

We go from being in technology overload,

to retro,


to complete bliss, all in just one quick glance around the room.

Of course Big Kid #1 is napping in the other room, completely worn out from all the excitement and/or food. I hope you've had a wonderful Christmas.

My List

In a season where people often ask, "What's on your list?" I'd like to share my list of a different sort, things I'm thankful for this holiday season. Here goes...in no particular order

1. Time off (yay!)
2. gift buying, card sending completed a whole week early (first time ever)
3. tons of help from my husband :) #2 would otherwise not exist
4. my chickens started laying eggs again! their second winter they don't lay unless you trick them with a light to extend their daylight hours (thanks again to the hubby and daughters who rigged the light for me)
5. a babysitter that puts me totally at ease and fills the house with smells of Christmas baking and who has a mellowing effect on the kids (jaw drops open here)
6. my busiest and most successful Christmas knitting season ever (and I thought quitting the farmers market would be my downfall)
7. happy dogs
8. happy kids
9. happy marriage
10. the chance to bake way more than I need to, just because
11. an old friend hopefully moving back to town (fingers crossed!)
12. my ideal job, without it #1 wouldn't be possible either
13. friends
14. creativity. the kind that prompts my son to make a punching bag out of pillows with his friend, and my daughter to write a book so intriguing that her tablemates at school snatch it during free reading time
15. my other daughter's two front teeth
16. hope for the future. for changes coming, for hearts softening, reality hitting. for eyes lifting and a life that continually moves forward.