bee creative

there is still more story

She drives me crazy sometimes.  This little one who turns six this month.

She is a destroyer.

But that means opportunities to explore, to create. 

She reminds me to be patient.

She makes me laugh.

She dances.

 

As of this month I have lived in my current house longer than I've lived anywhere in my life.

As of tomorrow, Briar has lived with me for 12 years.

Briar reminds me that there is goodness in the world, there is hope.

Today bee creative turns six.

I still feel like I have more stories to tell. 

the past week...

Click on picture if you need the text to be larger for reading.

things I liked this weekend...

"Breath is really important for us.  It's the kind of original movement for any puppet for us on stage.  It's the thing that distinguishes the puppet....  An actor struggles to die on stage, but a puppet has to struggle to live."  Adrian Kohler and Basil Jones

From an On Being interview:

"The primary purpose of prayer is not to make requests.  The primary purpose of prayer is to praise, to sing, to chant.  Because the essence of prayer is a song and men cannot live without a song."  Rabbi Heschel

Knitting and listening and thinking.  And watching for snow...

I went out in some very cold rain to clean the chicken coop.  They were all hiding inside until I put some fresh straw out and pulled the plastic cover back up over the top of the chicken run.  Eggs are precious right now.  They are not in season. 

A good use of one egg.  From HomeMade Winter (Yvette Van Boven)...Sticky Chocolate Cake.  If you try it it's important to not over bake.  This one is topped with a bit of a glaze made with honey and cocoa powder. 

3:38 PM  37 degrees, wind N 7 MPH, Visibility 2 miles, Fog. 

Sunrise 7:51 AM Sunset 4:41

 

 

 

celebrating shelter

The silver was a gift from one grandmother, a set that belonged to one of my great-grandmothers.  The china from my other grandmother, 3 plates pulled out of a free box.  The cup, my choice.  Not one I needed; but one I picked up, held and knew had to go home with me.  I choose all my pottery that way. I love how all three go together so well. 

No shopping today.  Just organizing, a bit of knitting...being at home.  Today I realized that one of the things I celebrate this time of year is shelter.   That when it is windy, cold and wet I have a place to burrow in...

Mittens in progress.  I'm going to make these without a thumb gusset.  Earlier this week, I was pulling my thumb in with the rest of my fingers to keep them warm in my mittens.  It occurred to me that maybe I just needed mittens without a thumb. 

staying warm...

First...I thought I'd help spread the word that Jude (Spirit Cloth) is "OK."  I hope that as things settle down, more people are found okay... It's funny how our world seems larger and smaller at the same time. 

My mittens are done.  These are a light weight mitten, perfect for most of the cool but not freezing weather we have in this corner of the world. 

I made a soup very similar to this pumpkin soup, but with sweet potatoes instead of the pumpkin.  Tonight I followed the suggestion to serve it with rice and  "lemon ginger rosemary butter."  About as tasty as something can get on a rainy Pacific Northwest night.

Wishing everyone comfort...

in season...rain

I have to admit I lost track of time this week... but here I am again.

This morning it was wet and dark, one of those mornings that it would have been just as easy to stay at home.

One of those mornings that I knew I really needed to get out, so I put on my rain gear and off I went...

There was a break in the rain so I decided to walk.

It was worth the going.  First time I've been able to buy Washington cranberries at the farmer's market. 

I've tried growing cranberries but the weeds ate them.  That seems to be the difficulty with growing cranberries...they don't like competition. 

The sun has set, it's still raining, time for something warm for dinner.

Feeling thankful for shelter...

 

 

what would field notes for home look like?

I'm thinking of making these on a weekly basis and printing them. 

One of my favorite images from the weekend...

A few of the last rose petals...

heat source

eleven pieces of of the last two days

This morning...



Equinox fish:





1.  Kale one year after planting.  I want to reread my copy of Four Season Harvest by Eliot Coleman soon. 

2. Baby Swiss chard planted about a month ago.

3.  Hazelnuts harvested before the squirrel could take them.  Dried in the dehydrator.  The squirrel won't get as many next year...

4.  Drying corn, peppers, and a mixture of carrots, parsley, celery leaf and onion.  I use all these as seasonings for foods throughout the winter. 

5.  I have grapes!  Should be enough to dry some.

6.  Hops harvested before the rain.

7.  Tattered fall crocus.  The sun came out for just a bit this afternoon.

8.  Mending the wool blanket.

9.  Peanut butter cookies!  Recipe here.  Worth making even if you are eating wheat. 

10 Lola makes her nest.  I can hear both dogs snoring at the moment... Time for another cookie. 

it's all being creative

My models won't cooperate:

Today I finished the white cotton/silk scarf.

Started a journal page. 

Learned how to replace a toilet.

Un-bundled the cabbage/rebar:

 (Can you tell which is indigo and which is the cabbage?)

And picked a handful of strawberries.