Recycling

When Henry and I have an hour or so in the mornings- usually just before lunch- when one can't possibly spend an entire hour playing a Star Wars board game but there's not quite enough time to start a proper project, we usually find ourselves pulling out our sewing machines.

One of our favorite projects is to recycle something stained, torn, or outgrown into something fresh and new again.

We had an hour just like that here recently, so out came a pair of pants that had suddenly become too short and a skirt of mine that was never very flattering (but was made out of adorable vintage-inspired fabric that I couldn't make myself get rid of).

I turned the pants into shorts for Little Brother, and with his own little machine and in the spirit of recycling Henry turned the cutoff pant legs into pillows for his Snoopy.

I've always loved the satisfaction of 'saving' something from being wasted and seeing it repurposed and reused, but watching that same sense of satisfaction find my little guy... that was the best.

Though I still feel pretty satisfied with my own projects, too.

We love recycling!

A Kitchen Apothecary

It's no secret in my family that I'm very pro-natural treatments for what ails ya. When my dad gets a tension headache- blackstrap molasses water and white willow bark (if I can get him to take it). When my daughter gets an upset stomach- ginger. When the Littles have the sniffles or a little cold- elderberry tea and a hot bath with epsom salts and eucalyptus. Sore throat? Drink some warm peppermint tea with honey.

You get the idea.

I am by no means an herbal guru, and I am still learning about the plants- both from my woods and fields and from far away places- that offer healing; I probably will be for years and years. It is fascinating to me and I hope I can some day walk through my land and know every plant, shrub, and tree, as well as their uses, and to have an apothecary stocked with those plants ready to be used to heal.

I have found some wonderful go-to resources as I build this little home apothecary, both online and written. One of my favorite standbys is Make Your Place: Affordable, Sustainable Nesting Skills by Raleigh Briggs. This little book is a handwritten at-a-glance that I keep in the drawer with all my herbs and such, and is beautifully written and easy to use. I would highly recommend it. I have also found The Cherokee Herbal: Native Plant Medicine from the Four Directions by J.T. Garrett helpful, as it provides a beautiful symbiotic context when we start thinking about the use of plants for healing.  

I have also found many interesting tutorials and such online that have been pinned on this Pinterest board.

Over the years I have slowly gathered bits and pieces of my little healing stash, and tucked them here and there throughout the kitchen, in the pantry and spice racks, and even underneath bathroom sinks. When we made the move to this new house I finally committed to putting it all in one place- in the kitchen- where they are ready and waiting to be used when the need arises.  

So what now resides in my deep, spicily-scented kitchen apothecary drawer? Well...

1. Activated charcoal. This was one of the first things I bought for our medicine cabinet when we had our first baby. Activated charcoal is used to reduce toxicity, used externally or taken internally. Our daughter got into a bed of fire ants, and using a paste of activated charcoal and baking soda I was able to ease her pain, draw out the poison from the ant bites, and reduce the swelling on her little feet. I also had the opportunity to do the exact same thing for our son when he was almost the same age. Have I ever said how much I hate fire ants? *ahem* Moving on. 
2. Honey. We have always loved honey in and on our foods and drinks, but we also use it when we're under the weather. Honey is naturally antibiotic. You can put honey directly on to minor cuts, scrapes, and burns, and it will protect the wound and aid in healing. Honey is also one of the best throat-coaters for coughs and sore throats. Bonus: my kids love 'honey tea' when they're sick because it's sweet! We have local raw honey in the pantry and UMF 15+ Manuka Honey from New Zealand (thanks, Grammy!) for the real nitty-gritty stuff.
3. Aloe vera. OK, technically my aloe plant is on the kitchen windowsill and not in the drawer, but it is unbeatable when a distracted hand bumps the hot oven. A quick pinch off the tip of an aloe leaf and a cooling slime oozes out for your burn-soothing pleasure. My use of this plant is pretty limited to burn treatment, but there are a ton of resources out there focused just on the amazingness of aloe and all you can do with it (like this one). 
4. Epsom salt. I have recently started reading about the use of epsom salt in the garden, and will probably add that to the list of reasons to keep this stuff on hand, but in the past my big paper carton of epsom salt under the bathroom sink has mainly served to lessen body aches and soreness due to illness or overexertion and to soothe the itching of bug bites or the burning of sunburn.

Those are my top four, which I've always had around and use with the most frequency. All my other goodies can be summed up in what they're used for most frequently around here:

1. Immune support/antimicrobial: honey, echinacea, garlic, cinnamon, clove, marshmallow root, yarrow, cranberry, elderberry, ginger, rose hips, lemon balm.
2. Cramps/body aches/headaches: epsom salt, valerian root, passion flower, lemon balm, white willow bark, turmeric, yerba mate, black strap molasses.
3. Sinus pressure/drainage: slippery elm, raspberry leaf, peppermint, eucalyptus.
4. Fever reduction: yarrow, peppermint, elder flowers, elderberries, burdock root. 
5. Expectorant/diuretic: comfrey, marshmallow root, licorice, eucalyptus, thyme, hibiscus flower, dandelion root, chicory root.
6. Insomnia: chamomile, lavender, passion flower, valerian root, lemon balm.
7. Digestive troubles: ginger, chicory root, dandelion root, comfrey, lemon balm, hibiscus flower, chamomile, Peruvian bark powder, activated charcoal.

It has become quite a hobby, this kitchen apothecary thing I've got going on in this island drawer of mine. I've had the opportunity to use most of the remedies listed above to treat my family and bring them back 'round from feeling crummy to feelin' fine. It's a pleasure and an honor to use these healing plants for the ones I love, and the more my eyes are opened to what's around me and what purposes these plants have, the more thankful I feel. What a beautiful balance we can find with the world around us, if only we look... if only we try.

Disclaimer: I am in no way an herbal guru, and anyone with severe symptoms of any kind should seek professional help! This info is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease or injury. 

Kiddie "Cowl"

This morning, Henry got in to my bag of yarn and knitting stuff, the likes of which have been tucked away since December-ish, when I finished my last gift project and pushed it all out of sight!

As I watched him gleefully pull out the skeins and scraps, an udon-noodle-esque, tangled ball of leftovers from Aunt KK's Christmas cowl caught my eye. I started thinking about some quick and easy way to use up the very short piece left behind... something that could be Sister's, since she has arrived at an age where she just adores things Mama makes for her... something that would end up close to her, where the softness of the yarn could truly be felt and appreciated... something within my skill level, too, of course... well, that doesn't leave much... time to improvise!

I love knitting with really, really big, fat, bulky, fuzzy yarn... it almost feels like cheating, because it comes together so incredibly fast (seriously, I only cast on 4 stitches for this little 'cowl,' and I finished it in less than an hour, including the button).

This was my first time doing a button hole, and I kinda think that was easier, too, because of the super-hugeness of the yarn and stitches. Honestly, I probably could have just cast on the very first stitch really loosely and ended up with a pretty good button hole, too.

Anyho, I was able to finish this little project during nap time (which is quickly becoming just a 'quiet time' for Sister, who only sleeps about once a week and plays quietly every other day for her nap time). When I presented the finished 'cowl' to my sweet, happy girl, I tried to explain that this would be something she could wear when the seasons change to autumn (or maybe even winter) and it becomes cooler outside. She, however, would have none of that, and despite the fact that it was over 90 degrees today, wore it out to the sandbox and kept it on for almost 30 mins.

 

After about thirty minutes of watching her dig in the sand, sun beating down on her well-insulated neck, I had to insist that she relinquish it to the coat closet for cooler weather (though it was not without a tinge of pride at the thought of her liking it that much).

I believe that was an hour of my afternoon well spent.

Christmas Corals

This week, a very carefully selected, very carefully packed, much anticipated box arrived at our door.

It contained fifteen- fifteen!- new less-than-dime-sized fragments of soft corals for our salt water aquarium. Honestly, I got a little caught up in their beauty and some good old fashioned excitement when ordering them, and only thought about exactly where they would go in the tank after I clicked the 'complete transaction' button... but ah, c'est la vie! It was a fun problem to have.

 

(some of them look closer to each other than they actually are, due to the camera angle)

I can't help but take attendance of all the colorful little guys in their new home every time I walk by the aquarium, and I can't wait to watch them all start to grow, multiply, and cover up those gosh-darned ugly ceramic plugs they come attached to!

It's pretty amazing... and maybe, just maybe, if everything takes hold and thrives, we can try for another fish... again...

A Moment Spent in Appreciation

This afternoon, the stars aligned and both babies went down for a nap at the same time. While they were playing together in dream land, I took a stroll through our little garden plot out back. It is doing quite well, if I may say so. I have already picked pounds and pounds of green (and purple!) beans, which is pounds and pounds more than I got out of the garden last year. I have already had the pleasure of enjoying an eggplant, two yellow squash, a zucchini, lots of radishes, and even more beets. Then there's the herbs in their aromatic bounty and the pest-deterring flowers blooming at the gardens' borders... it is truly uplifting to walk the narrow paths and peek at the growing plants in the beds that represent so much hard work and love!

The toils of loving garden labor have yielded fuel for a secondary hobby I started dabbling in last year: canning. I have searched many a website and have read many a book learning about canning, preserving, and even drying garden produce. I tried many different recipes in my initial attempts at these methods, many successful and some not! This year, my garden has finally yielded enough spring goodness for me to pick back up and continue the craft! Today's endeavor: beets!

Three pounds of scarlet-red lovelies

To launch the canning season(s), I am trying pickled beets from Put 'Em Up! by Sherri Brooks Vinton. There were actually two versions, and I settled on the more traditional recipe with dill and white vinegar. The prep would have been easy had it not been for my two little darlings, who forced me to stretch it out over several days. However, they made up for it this afternoon, allowing for the resolution of this 4-pint project! 

Funny thing about sleeping babies and old-fashioned projects... they allow your mind to wander while you loose yourself in the task. I found myself thinking about the past, and the countless mothers and grandmothers who performed the same chores that I was fumbling through for generation after generation. What really got me thinking, however, was the contrast in circumstances.

I was filled with a sense of appreciation for the hard work of ancestors who, let's be honest, got us all to where we are now. How amazing is it that, while I garden and can as a hobby, not two or three generations ago families relied on that work to make it through the year? It's not a big deal if my seeds don't germinate or I accidentally let something bolt or go bad, it's just a learning experience for the next season. My family won't starve, be malnourished, or miss a rent payment because of it.

Then I started looking around... I was able to steal this nap time to pickle my beets with peace of mind because I could glance at my digital monitor and know instantly the status of my babies. I was able to procrastinate up to today because the beets I picked last week were safely resting in my ice cold refrigerator. I was able to accomplish my chore because I could push a button and instantly have heat under my pots and pans, I could clean up in a few minutes by throwing everything in my dishwasher, and I could do it all in relative comfort because my air conditioner was working to keep my kitchen cool. Heck, I could also simultaneously do a few loads of laundry, too.

There is so much to be thankful for, and still so much taken for granted. What a beautiful life we have today because of the hard work of so many people before us, and how quickly we forget that hard work... and how to do it!

What started out as an afternoon bent on completing a procrastinated project turned in to a reflective, reverent, and humbling moment for me as a mother and as a homemaker... all at the hands of a few pounds of beets!

Potager Evolution

My energy and time and enthusiasm have all been poured into the potager during the last month or so. It helps that it's been unseasonably warm and that I've had lots of help this year, too, all culminating in the production of a winter-long re-design brainstorm. There were times when I'd step back and look at what had to be done and feel totally overwhelmed and like there was no end in sight, but it's a good thing I'm stubborn...

Let's take a look at the evolution of the thing, shall we? We all remember what it looked like last year...

So quaint...

The problem was that my four 4x4 foot raised beds weren't big enough to accommodate everything I wanted to plant. I ended up spreading things out around the yard, past the reach of the hose, and out of the regular monitoring range that the raised beds benefited from. I realized pretty quickly that it was a mistake to have, say, zucchini and pumpkins at the back of the yard with no amended soil, water, or pest control. It got my gears turning- what if I expanded the beds north and south to make room for my squash, gourds, and melons? That way, everything could be monitored and watered and perhaps would then stand a better chance for producing... well, anything. Hmmm. I sketched it out and started planning. 

In the meantime, the mud that I'd used to hold together the walls of the raised beds had weathered, shrunk, and washed away. I realized I should have used mortar from the beginning, and had made a labor-intensive mistake. Lucky for me, I have a crafty hubby and father-in-law who were able to solve the problem of my crumbling walls in a single afternoon. 

 A little dirt relocation, some sand and mortar, and voila! The base four squares were ready for another season. Thanks, guys!

Now we just had to implement my expansion designs and work through the late winter to get everything in order for spring! I was very insistent that procrastination not get the better of me this year, as last year I waited way, way too long to put seeds and plants in the ground, and I shorted myself quite a bit of veggie production due to the heat. So, this year, we started the rototiller in mid-February (and by we, I mean the hubs to the rescue, yet again). 

Don't feel sorry for the hubby, he had a great helper

Damp, hard clay and weeds tilled up and baking in the warm Texas February sunshine

With more help from the in-laws, the hard clay lumps and weeds were raked out of the newly tilled spaces, hauled to the back of the yard, and used to fill in holes that had been doggie escape hatches throughout the winter. Once that fun job was finished, it was time to start defining the new beds with stones.

This wasn't the best part the first time I did it, and it certainly wasn't my favorite part this time around, either, but we got it finished! I am so thankful for the free supply of stones from the front yard. What a huge bonus in our garden designs!

Don't feel sorry for me, either, as I also had an awesome helper

Things slowly started to shape up and fill in...

After multiple afternoons of toil and troubles, loads and loads of topsoil and compost, and many a muscle ache, my garden visions finally manifested themselves, and they now stand ready to receive their precious charges...

The trellis Bill made for me, based on a method for growing a "tomato wall" which I am super excited to try this season!

I finally decided to annex the tree and use it to support climbing cucumbers

As if my persistence, stubbornness, and particular directions weren't hard enough to work around, the hubs and the father-in-law also had to work around seeds I started planting in late February in the original 4 raised beds. They worked faithfully, though, and completed some of the hardest parts of the garden renovation for me without me having to lift a finger. This project was truly a community affair, and when our plants start to produce their springtime and summer treasures, we will feast in their honor and enjoy every bit of it!

This season, we will be growing:

Radishes (scarlet globe and icicle)

Sweet yellow onions

Beets

Carrots

Lettuces (several varieties)

Spinach

Green beans (green bush, purple bush, and pole)

Zucchini

Yellow squash

Tomatoes (roma, big boy, and celebrity)

Eggplant

Peppers (bell and hot)

Corn

Sunflowers

Cucumbers

Strawberries

Sugar pie pumpkins

Sugarbaby watermelons

Chives (standard and garlic)

Parsley

Cilantro

 Red basil

Dill

Lots and lots of flowers

Slow Spring Progress

This week has been a week of spring-like weather, despite the fact that we're only about half-way through February. What's a girl to do? Why, implement garden expansion designs and plant root veggies, of course! And how easy is that work when you have the most adorable and willing helper ever? Though, we are all moving much slower than we would be another few months from now... but it'll get done!

Wee Helper footprints

Audrey's wheelbarrow

Hauling "lotsa lotsa dirt"

Inspecting the "boo-tee-ful dirt"

Heading to the garden

Chasing a spider

Totally dirty and totally happy

Sweet baby hands in dirt

The "tube music" in the background while we work, coming from our amazing new wind chime