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Showing posts from 2013

Christmas preparations

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Few things say "Christmas" to me more than an assortment of wood shapes  (bought on Etsy ), a handful of inexpensive acrylic paints, some nontoxic finish, and a few clandestine painting sessions with my older children. This particular present is for the toddler, who has only a few toys and who was felt to be in need of his own "Blue Army." The older children intend to show him how to play with it via multiple joint demonstrations. 

Peaceful Play

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Before Christmas we try to sort through our toys and give away what we don't need "to make room for Baby Jesus." But it has the additional effect of making our children aware of the toys they do have.  I was preoccupied with Christmas preparations this morning when I became aware of the happy noises of play up in our toy lift over the kitchen and went to investigate. There I found the older children had set up a house/store for the younger ones, who were enjoying themselves immensely. I was struck by their creativity in making a stove and kitchen counter and providing food for hungry dolls.  In a recent talk I spoke on the importance of having the right amount of toys in proportion to the child. I think this picture is satisfying partially because it show the right ratio of toys to children. It's a good ideal to strive for, because it brings out peace and playfulness, both of which we love to see in our children.

Ridiculously Homemade Breakfast

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As I was eating breakfast this morning, the suburbanite-city girl in me was astonished to realize I was eating sausage made from our own pigs together with bread made by my sister and fried puffball mushrooms harvested on our own property along with homemade butter from our own cow's milk. At some point I should probably admit to living on a farm and being a country girl. But it's still slow to take.

Our Corn Harvest

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There is a story behind this picture, a tale of ambition, tragedy, and indefatigability; in short, a farm story. Each year we have tried a new crop on our small homestead. We are fairly good at livestock, but remain below-average gardeners. This year we decided to raise a large corn crop in the pasture where we keep the sheep. So we planted corn and ringed it with a wire fence to keep the sheep out, and the corn grew tall and green in the summer sun.  Then we purchased our seasonal herd of six pigs, and decided to put them in the same pasture behind sturdy hog panels. The pigs grew along with the corn and all was well. Then we took a trip to Michigan to see our farming relatives, and a good friend came by daily to check on the garden and feed the animals. She noticed the pigs were getting frisky and adventurous and tried to reinforce their pen. Alas. The very day of our return, the pigs staged their breakout. They tunneled under their fence and broke into the sheep pasture. Unable to g

Stacked Pancakes a la Farmer Boy

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Rainy day. I ended up making pancakes and since we were out of maple syrup, I made brown sugar syrup by heating about a half cup of brown sugar with about a quarter cup water in the microwave for about 30 seconds at a time and stirring in some corn syrup.  It was only then that I realized I was making stacked pancakes just as Almanzo's mother had done in Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder . A cheerful revelation that brightened my morning!