tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265877062310916022024-03-13T13:52:51.608-04:00Natural Earth FarmCreating a handmade life and inspiring others to live a creative, intentional life.Tonya Gunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140984106118247860noreply@blogger.comBlogger1208125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826587706231091602.post-44088004389381481722023-05-17T07:51:00.000-04:002023-05-17T07:51:06.972-04:00A New Path<p> I wrote and published what I have cut and pasted below, on a new blog I was going to start on November 3, 2018. Over the years since, much has changed yet much remains the same. This will be more of the direction that this blog will take as my children are getting older now - Emily, our youngest, turns 12 this year. We are still on our farm in Vermont, have one grandson with another on the way and life, overall, is wonderful. But so much happened over the pandemic that has changed me in so many ways and has made me stronger - I plan to share my story, share my research, and share my quest for creating as Charles Eisenstein says, "the more beautiful world our hearts know is possible". </p><p><br /></p><p>Here is what I wrote on November 3, 2018 - </p><p>As I sit writing from our living room on this rainy dark November afternoon, many thoughts are going through my head. It seems that so many people, including myself, take what the media says at face value and that the media has become so polarized that many of us are simply left wondering what to believe. I am starting a blog to post my thoughts and articles I plan to write as I spend time researching areas of interest. I am specifically interested in exposing hypocrisy, questioning norms, and creating thoughtful discussion by asking questions which I am sure I will often not be able to answer.</p><p><br />At the age of 49, our youngest child of 7 is now 7 years old. We still homeschool the three youngest and run our online handwork business and are starting a small farm on our new farm in central Vermont. Over many of the last 20 years, our family has often chosen a nonconventional path. We have been mostly home based as far as work and school and have not chosen to put the acquisition of status or stuff as a priority. <br /><br />During the 2016 presidential primaries, Bernie Sanders woke me up politically. I had been only marginally following any type of governmental race in the past. My husband and I watched rally after rally. While the mainstream media were not covering them, we found them on youtube and kept up with his schedule. When we learned of the extreme corruption in the Democratic party that potentially denied Bernie Sanders the nomination, I became angry and determined to do something. With my family and business obligations taking up most of my time, I didn't do anything much concrete except reply to some tweets or instagram posts or wrote up some blog posts and social media posts of my own.<br /><br />I don't know if I will run for office someday, but that is a possibility. At this time, I just want to share an alternative view that perhaps you might not hear from many other outlets. <br /><br />Warmly,<br />Tonya</p>Tonya Gunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140984106118247860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826587706231091602.post-400927264239946242023-05-17T07:43:00.002-04:002023-05-17T07:44:14.326-04:00Paul Kingsnorth<p>Excellent conversation:</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_uAwsVn10Y" target="_blank">Paul Kingsnorth: Why I Changed Sides in the Vaccine Wars</a></p>Tonya Gunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140984106118247860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826587706231091602.post-92188164737911878752020-10-22T08:54:00.001-04:002020-10-22T09:50:24.633-04:00Nothing Will Change After November 3rd<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4MtoaWYO2xsx5qj00ZVOwB8zdTXMnaR3TvAE_By8aSx1mjZgSjDXr3cIPcQRT-IxlXJxZqwGwNpUrqONJP4ax_Gr1daFNTVT3jGoGQ8jYibbIjU8yuN9BqfYbkMugxnthNMLchirEAao/s2048/ink1.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1895" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4MtoaWYO2xsx5qj00ZVOwB8zdTXMnaR3TvAE_By8aSx1mjZgSjDXr3cIPcQRT-IxlXJxZqwGwNpUrqONJP4ax_Gr1daFNTVT3jGoGQ8jYibbIjU8yuN9BqfYbkMugxnthNMLchirEAao/s320/ink1.jpeg" /></a></div>
<p style="text-align: center;">Ink and Pen by Sarah</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Nothing Will Change After November 3rd</span></p><iframe height="1200" src="https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vQOxFNAojhuIAZ1G_lKhNvT3AkVOk62pewijGB7rJFZc8-wqfvyoNRBPdQ4t9EIMo4xX1RD0AKHw0AV/pub?embedded=true" width="650"></iframe>Tonya Gunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140984106118247860noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826587706231091602.post-83281276155886022422019-12-03T16:53:00.000-05:002019-12-03T17:03:33.586-05:00Baking and Beeswax Candle Making<br />
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This morning I baked a loaf of bread and a Gluten-Free Apple Cake. My friend gave us some apples yesterday as they own an orchard and have a business selling hard cider. I thought I would share the recipe. You can find it <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vS9AJ1tRCm_yvUF4vb-2duv24hg7nwtGQD09jE4POf7fqBNMbRyj1mH6Xm4fhCu7ZMQEYs2HB6nO6xF/pub">here</a>.<br />
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I also poured some more beeswax candles as our stock was running low and I also like to give them for small Christmas gifts when attending a gathering or when I need a little something to express my gratitude.<br />
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Warm wishes,<br />
Tonya<br />
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<br />Tonya Gunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140984106118247860noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826587706231091602.post-85470059437534516382019-12-02T18:59:00.000-05:002019-12-02T19:02:31.147-05:00Monday, December 2nd<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello friends,<br />
Today we woke to a few inches of freshly fallen snow and all looks beautiful.<br />
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I thought I would share a little bit about our handmade and simple advent season during the days of December leading up to Christmas.<br />
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Today, it was Abe's turn to open our little advent calendar filled with milk chocolate pieces. I bought it at our coop food store for $3.00. This was an example of a compromise. Not being able to buy a more expensive fair trade chocolate calendar, I did buy it at our local food coop store so that we can continue this tradition.<br />
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Each morning, Emily finds a Christmas story book wrapped under our Christmas tree for us to read and add to our Christmas book basket. This makes it nice for me because I don't have to wrap 24 books at one time and I can also re-use the wrapping paper and yarn tie each night.<br />
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After they came in from helping to shovel and playing, I made them some hot cocoa. For each cup of milk, add 2 Tablespoons of cocoa and 1 - 2 Tablespoons of sugar. Whisk all ingredients in a saucepan over low heat until hot.<br />
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I baked a loaf of bread and Emily made some sugar cookies. I finished the turkey soup that was made from our Thanksgiving turkey and that is what we are having for dinner tonight.<br />
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I have added little bits of Christmas decorations throughout our home and will add more throughout the month.<br />
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Our homeschooling lessons were cut short today when a friend called to see if Emily and Abraham wanted to play as he had a snow day. He came over to our house and then they went over to his.<br />
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The turkey soup was delicious and now I am at my secretary wood burning more<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/210844314/christmas-personalized-ornament-heart?ref=shop_home_feat_2&frs=1"> ornaments</a>.<br />
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Would love to hear about what you are making and doing during this beautiful season.<br />
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Warm wishes,<br />
Tonya<br />
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<br />Tonya Gunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140984106118247860noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826587706231091602.post-86129818485484984972019-11-15T14:21:00.001-05:002019-11-15T14:47:48.873-05:00Handmade Holiday 2019<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So excited to be sharing another year of a mostly handmade holiday with you.</div>
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Let me start by sharing why I believe in making handmade or supporting other small businesses. </div>
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<li style="text-align: left;">Shopping local, supporting small businesses, and making for yourself is good for the environment. Think about all the miles saved with transportation, giant warehouses, less packaging.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">I challenge you to not support Amazon or Walmart. When money and power is consolidated in the hands of a few, by default we lose some of our freedoms - freedom of choice, whether it is in our political candidates through financial influence or the fact that they become a monopoly. Amazon is getting in the business of elections (through the cloud) and military supplies. Amazon has a contract with the CIA. Amazon continues to buy out smaller businesses which means that Amazon will determine pay scales, products and so much more. It is a scary situation and I challenge you to boycott them. I know it is hard. Sometimes I think how easy it would be to just place an order for that book I would love, or that product I need within 2 days, or the fact that Amazon is offering that product for much less than anywhere else. Our family lives on very little financially (perhaps might even be considered to live in poverty for a family our size) but we consider boycotting Amazon to be a principled sacrifice. Walmart is much the same with so them pricing out smaller businesses putting them out of business and much of their products being imported.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">There is something intrinsically special about making a gift for someone. As it is being made, it is fun to think about them and just the act of making is so satisfying. </li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Supporting local businesses helps to feed a local family that is using their gifts to offer something unique to your community. </li>
<li style="text-align: left;">There is something much more human about walking into a local store, seeing another human being, speaking to them, creating small talk, and getting to know others in your community. I am so afraid that we are losing some of our basic aspects of being human when we choose to do so much online out of convenience or to save money.</li>
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There are so many more reasons and I would love to hear yours.</div>
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If you search this blog in the search box, Handmade Holiday, you will find many posts of handmade ideas from years ago of sharing from blog readers. It is very inspiring! </div>
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Finally, please use #handmadeholiday2019 to share on instagram and/or leave your ideas in the comments with links if you have them!</div>
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Warm wishes,</div>
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Tonya</div>
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Edited to add: These are my views and I do not judge others that choose to live or shop differently. Some of my adult children use Amazon and I still love them!!</div>
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<br />Tonya Gunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140984106118247860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826587706231091602.post-64309374345764076932019-10-14T07:58:00.001-04:002019-10-14T07:58:08.584-04:00Harvest Festival<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sarah with brought one of her chickens.</div>
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Abe and Emily</div>
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needlefelting</div>
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Emily doing the pumpkin on a spoon race.</div>
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Emily</div>
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Abe</div>
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Friends working on the cider pressing.</div>
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Emily hugging the sweet baby goat.</div>
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We moved to the most amazing small town in the world.... at least I think so. The community is full of caring, involved people that work hard to serve one another. This past Saturday, the non profit organization in town (which Mike and I have become involved with), but on a Harvest Festival that is geared toward the children. <br />
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There was the cider pressing, the reading of Stone Soup while two cast iron pots of soup boiled over the open fire. There were donuts from a string, fiddlers, a petting zoo with the sweetest little baby goats, caramel apples, a bouncy house, and more. I brought wool to do needle felting and it was truly rewarding to see the joy in the children's faces (and adults!) as the wool became a work of art.Tonya Gunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140984106118247860noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826587706231091602.post-69770041149137680232019-04-15T16:26:00.000-04:002019-04-15T17:43:32.590-04:00UpdatesI thought I would post some updates from the last couple of weeks here at our little farm in central Vermont.<br />
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We tapped our big maple tree in front of our house, but do not have anything, yet, set up to cook off the sap outside, so we did use the stove top. It was still worth it.<br />
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A little spring knitting with some beautiful small farm yarn that was hand dyed by my friend, <a href="http://woolmaiden.com/">Jules</a></div>
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A little pattern you can find <a href="http://plainandjoyfulliving.blogspot.com/2015/04/simple-hand-knit-bunny-pattern.html">here</a> in my blog.</div>
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A little <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/little-kina">doll's vest</a>.</div>
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We celebrated Sarah's 15th birthday with my father and a family friend from Massachusetts, and with Thomas. We went up to Montpelier, where Thomas lives, to walk around and then have dinner at Positive Pie (Sarah's request).</div>
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And just now, with a huge rainfall last night,the snow is gone! Mike worked on putting in a stone walkway going into the farm store over the weekend. We hope to be planting by the end of the week!</div>
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When I was making a post on instagram for Sarah's birthday, I came to my blog to borrow pictures and it made me sad that I wasn't keeping up with documenting our children's growth and changes, as well as my thoughts over the last couple of years. My goal is to blog here regularly again to have a record of our days.</div>
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Warm wishes,</div>
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Tonya</div>
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<br />Tonya Gunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140984106118247860noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826587706231091602.post-131759966141176562019-01-06T11:03:00.002-05:002019-01-06T11:03:47.016-05:00Christmas 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It was a wonderful Christmas! Our son and his wife that live in Virginia, came to stay with us for five nights, including Christmas day. Oh, the anticipation for their arrival (we hadn't seen them for over a year), the joy of having them visit, and then the sadness as they departed. Although, I felt sad that we wouldn't see them for awhile, it was good to see that they seemed happy and are enjoying their life in Virginia. We now live just 50 minutes from our oldest son, so he was with us as well. Moving back to Vermont and seeing him somewhat regularly again has been such a gift. Our other five children are all still living at home.<br />
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Some of Mike's family came to visit on Christmas Eve. My Mom and step-father came from Connecticut to spend Christmas day with us and my father came the day after Christmas. Such a busy time for this introvert but so worth it!Tonya Gunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140984106118247860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826587706231091602.post-37811497829816949112018-07-08T09:03:00.004-04:002018-07-08T09:05:05.213-04:00Daily Blog - Beautiful Weekend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sweet morning hellos from my beloved Madeline. </div>
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Our oldest is home for the weekend before returning to camp this afternoon. These are our two oldest daughters preparing their breakfast. </div>
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Gathering two "real" heads of lettuce. We are so inspired to begin the work of establishing our farm in Vermont to provide nutritious food for our community and our family.</div>
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Wishing you a beautiful day!</div>
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Warmly,</div>
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Tonya</div>
Tonya Gunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140984106118247860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826587706231091602.post-45129005643484886102018-07-07T07:16:00.000-04:002018-07-07T07:16:32.520-04:00Daily Blog - Farm Food, Flowers, CampFarm Food:<br />
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Every morning before the sun gets too hot, I go to the gardens to pick what will be needed for the day. Everyday since the first week of June there has been lettuce. Yesterday I harvested some baby carrots, and another handful of garlic scapes to go with our lunch to go with our dinner.<br />
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Our lunch of spaghetti topped with garlic scapes and onions, a fried egg and lettuce.</div>
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Flowers:<br />
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A fresh bouquet for our table - cosmos, bachelor buttons, black eyed susans and tansy.</div>
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Camp:</div>
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We were supposed to go see our oldest daughter's staff dedication last night after she finished her week of training at a nearby summer camp, followed by icecream and fireworks. Abe and Emily were so excited. But, when we went to start our van, it was obvious very quickly that the alternator was going. I am thankful for a neighbor/friend that lent us their car so Mike could go pick Abby up and our pastor is here early already this morning to take Mike to get the part. I am so thankful we didn't break down at 10:00 pm on the side of the road on our way back home if we had gone last night. The children's disappoint has mostly passed and today we are thankful for all of God's provisions. After we sell our house, we are going to take a bit of the money and buy a second used car, probably a subaru outback or forester because our one car is nearly at 200,000 miles. <br />
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Wishing you a beautiful day!<br />
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Warmly,<br />
Tonya</div>
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<br />Tonya Gunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140984106118247860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826587706231091602.post-11541904707461161472018-07-06T08:13:00.001-04:002018-07-06T08:13:41.651-04:00Daily Blog - Flowers, Elephants, and Heat<br />
Flowers:<br />
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Morning gathering - some to dry and some for us. As we pack up the house for our move back to Vermont, freshly cut flowers will be the one touch of beauty we can still add inside. These are bachelor buttons. I planted them by seed in many of our gardens at the beginning and middle of May.</div>
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Handwork:<br />
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Sharing some hand sewn elephants today. They are made using wool felt for the body and then a bit of special fabric for the inner ears. In addition, I embroidered little hearts to either side of their back end and added a braided wool yarn tail.</div>
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If you would like to make one here is a <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ffjSETXYuwS6JPXu71h8oTePrIiiV0Tk/view?usp=sharing">link to the pattern</a>.</div>
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Heat:<br />
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Yesterday the humidity returned in full force so after Mike did his workshop work, I did the wood burning and packaging, we headed out to the lake. We are blessed to have Lake St. George State Park about a 12 minute drive away.<br />
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Warm wishes,<br />
Tonya<br />
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<br />Tonya Gunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140984106118247860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826587706231091602.post-68068916542045119342018-06-12T16:09:00.002-04:002018-06-23T09:30:23.805-04:00Free Baby Doll Cardigan Knitting Pattern<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9QfU9-4F0DscrqTUxmttxACYTDOAvJiGjPY7F8Honwey0EdMdpbwO64GOqtUP9DGx1CsvQJUYEvKms4iU6TLtAKpfScoaTmT6q3QGwpx7fopwKyQ_BjtavkWRAJO8Yiuy55FG0vACy8/s1600/IMG_9838.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9QfU9-4F0DscrqTUxmttxACYTDOAvJiGjPY7F8Honwey0EdMdpbwO64GOqtUP9DGx1CsvQJUYEvKms4iU6TLtAKpfScoaTmT6q3QGwpx7fopwKyQ_BjtavkWRAJO8Yiuy55FG0vACy8/s640/IMG_9838.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I just wanted to share here that I have started a new design label and am designing simple knit patterns that are simple, functional and timeless.<br />
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The baby doll cardigan is a free pattern!</div>
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<a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/tonya-gunns-ravelry-store/patterns"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/tonya-gunns-ravelry-store/patterns">The Belfast Basic Doll Cardigan</a></div>
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Thanks so much and warm wishes,</div>
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Tonya</div>
Tonya Gunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140984106118247860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826587706231091602.post-84482677856816377092018-05-03T14:04:00.000-04:002018-05-03T14:06:47.695-04:00Wouldn't Change Anything<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So as I have written here before, we struggle financially sometimes because we don't know how much or when our next order will happen. We have faith that God will always provide, though, and we have always had healthy food and kept mostly up with our bills. But as I have written we are not able to do many things we want to do - all the lessons for the children, all the art supplies, etc... but the hardest part for me when finances are tight, is that we are not able to visit my mom and dad and older two sons as often as I would want. That is the trade off. That is the hard part. But that is the choice we have made and I know that God has provided for us on numerous times to travel. And we were even able to have a large family weekend get together here on our farmstead at the end of last summer.<br />
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What made me really sad recently and why all of this has been on my mind the last couple of weeks is because we weren't able to meet with my mom, step-father, and my sister and her family in southern Maine a few Saturdays ago for my mother's 70th birthday, because of the weather. I was over taken with the idea that, well, why don't we just go down to her place and spend the night in Connecticut and then my sister was going to have a little celebration for her at my sister's home near Boston. Well, although I knew we were struggling financially, the orders had picked up the previous two days, so I told my Mom on Sunday that we would make the trip on Friday. Well the next two days there were no orders at all and we just had enough money to buy food, which I am thankful for. Mind you, we don't have any savings. I had to let my mom know we wouldn't be down and that was so hard. (You see, we also have just one old car that could use some repairs so we don't want to risk something happening and not be able to afford to fix it.) That decision made me so sad. <br />
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Over the last two weeks our business has picked up and for that I am grateful. But over these last two weeks I have been thinking so much about how our family lives. We obviously don't fit into the cultural norm and we don't have a regular paycheck and now that Mike and I have been out of the workforce for so long, we are hardly employable except at a starting wage which is about 10.00 around here. And, overall our business pays us more than 10.00 an hour. We earn about $43,000 or so a year.<br />
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So I have been thinking about the trade offs that we have made - one being not always being able to say yes to travel - but on the flip side there have been many times when we have been able to say yes. We don't often buy new things, we don't have any kind of financial security (but who really does anyway, right?), we have to stay home much more often than I would truthfully like to. There might be a festival going on 30 minutes away - but the travel, the food, etc.. - it often doesn't work out for us financially.<br />
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Now the good stuff - we are together as a family. Our children all tell us they are really happy. I am really happy when I am not worrying so much. Just the last couple of days Emily and Abraham have been using branch scraps to develop new products for us to sell in our shop. Emily has even been putting the branches out on the metal that Mike uses to dry the wood and then carting them around in boxes like he does. So sweet. Abraham has his creative pursuits with his Legos and amazes me. He asked me today if we could save $2.00 a day for him so we can get him a Lego Robotics Set - the big one. He also is asking to work for us daily and so he can save money for it as well. Sarah loves her chickens and her instagram community and has friends from a homeschool group. Abby has her camp community where she helps out during school vacation camps and spends the summer there as a counselor. Isaac is 19 now and says he is very happy. He helps with our business and with homestead work and then spends the balance of his time doing computer related things such as music composition, video editing and gaming. <br />
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We have a beautiful place to call home (although it is on the market as we hope to return to Vermont, but that is all in God's timing. More on that in another post.). We are expanding to market gardening. We are developing some friendships with some other families, although this has been slower than I had hoped. There is so much good.<br />
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Living this simple, but not easy lifestyle is amazing in so many ways and I am a million times over thankful for all of the fruits it has produced and the daily beauty I get to experience. Sarah just brought me a bouquet of daffodils that she found in our field, on the edge of the woods. A sweet surprise.<br />
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All we have is this one life to live and I guess I am one of those people that wasn't willing to wait ... to wait until we had enough saved.... to wait until all our bills were paid off... to wait until the kids grew up .... to wait until we retired..... I want to squeeze as much as I can out of this one life and to inspire others to do the same.<br />
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Warm wishes,<br />
TonyaTonya Gunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140984106118247860noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826587706231091602.post-71624014298288017232018-04-24T07:50:00.002-04:002018-04-24T07:56:06.179-04:00Intentional Living<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As many of you know that have read this blog for years, we have made our living through selling products made primarily of tree branches and just a wee bit from my hand knitting. We don't have to earn as much money by making some of our food from scratch, growing a garden, staying home a lot, rarely buying anything new, etc... We do many of these things, however, not just for financial reasons. We eat mostly organic and make our food from scratch because it is good for our bodies and good for the earth. We avoid buying new unless necessary because it is good for the environment. We stay home a lot so we have time to cook and bake and grow and make. Less driving is also good for the environment. We do our best to live by our principles and of course, sometimes we utterly fail.<br />
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So as our etsy businesses decline - because you know - you can order many of our woodland wedding decor items on amazon for nearly 1/2 the price and with prime you get free shipping! And how wonderful to receive your special items for your wedding or home all the way from the beautiful country of China.<br />
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Sorry for my sarcasm, but it is true. We have let Amazon take over our spending habits and in the process created a monster (the owner is the richest person in America, has a $600 M contract with the CIA, owns the Washington Post), put thousands of small and larger businesses out of business, put thousands of people out of jobs, etc. The thing is, is it all worth it? And why oh why do small businesses including homesteading types, become Amazon affiliates? I don't get it. There must be a way to hook up with independent businesses to work out some sort of similar financial benefit. I would even wager to guess you might make out better. I guess what I am saying is - if you care about your health, our earth, the thriving of small local businesses, please put your money where your heart is... line up your principles with your spending habits.<br />
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So my challenge for you today isn't to order something from a local small business or online family business or something from our business - my challenge is for you to really consider the impact of every dime you spend. Remember, as I have written before, how we spend our money is the most powerful form of activism. And I also bet that if you take the time to consider your purchase or make the item you need yourself - you will find a deeper connection to either the shop owner or community that you shop at. Or, if you make the item yourself, the immense satisfaction over your accomplishment.<br />
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Warm wishes,<br />
TonyaTonya Gunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140984106118247860noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826587706231091602.post-70325361087740419382018-03-25T08:33:00.001-04:002018-03-25T08:39:45.701-04:00A Full Day of Work Even With the Snow and Mud and Inspiration from the March for Our Lives<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What a wonderful work day we had yesterday. Despite the snow cover and the mud, we were able to get so much accomplished. I am so thankful for our health and the ability to use our bodies to work.</div>
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*The goat stalls cleaned out</div>
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*More sap collected and over 20 gallons boiled down. We made about 1/2 gallon of syrup yesterday.</div>
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*Some window trim replaced and some painted (that was directly in the sun.)</div>
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*Hay picked up from a nearby barn where Mike and Isaac had to use a sled to bring the bales from the barn to the car but we are thankful for a nearby source of hay</div>
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*Because of all of the snow I am not sure when I will get the lettuce seedlings starts planted so I separated some to see if that will help them to continue to grow while inside</div>
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*Oh, and I spotted a little woolly caterpillar - spring must be coming soon.</div>
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On another note, I haven't been going on twitter or facebook lately so I wasn't aware of the scope of the March for Our Lives. At lunch as Mike and I were checking on things online, we noticed that there was live coverage of the DC march and we watched some of the young people speak as we ate. Later that evening, we watched a few more. </div>
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So many sad stories - so much needless violence and death. What I found so encouraging and hopeful was how the men in the video I link to below, were sent to Parkland shortly after the shooting to help them cope with the aftermath of gun violence - it opened the Parkland students' eyes to the fact that so many young people in the cities of our country, are living with this same trauma every day of their lives. And the Parkland students realized their privilege of being heard and being able to utilize financial resources to make themselves heard, and they realized that so many others do not have this privilege. Together, young people from all walks of life, from all different backgrounds, are coming together. Such brave and heroic people with the bottom line being that we do have the power to make change. It is called voting and being in contact with your elected officials. It is called standing together such as so many did yesterday. Our country has an amazing foundation - the constitution - which makes change possible. I want to share the video of two young men that we found particularly moving - especially the second speaker in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrYFbrOuGqc&list=PLbS4wzN2RO95MY_BDBdY5HpJV7mz2_5Pz">this video</a>. </div>
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Warm wishes,</div>
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Tonya</div>
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<br />Tonya Gunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140984106118247860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826587706231091602.post-36476444759507998922018-03-05T16:27:00.001-05:002018-03-05T16:27:24.094-05:00Just Catching Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I can't believe it has been nearly a month since I posted. From this day forward, I am making posting regularly a priority. Just last night Sarah was looking through the blog's archives and showing everyone pictures from five to eight years ago and we all laughed and were amazed at how everyone has changed. So not only do I want to share bits of our life with all of you, but I want to preserve our family's growth and milestones.</div>
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We have been collecting sap and have, so far, have made nearly 2 quarts. I also planted lettuce on February 21 and they are growing so well. I used organic potting soil and planted in salad mix containers that I have been saving this winter. I have since planted more lettuce and will keep starting more every 2 weeks or so. I also planted onions and they are coming along well.</div>
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These are what we use to collect sap - it may not be pretty - but it was free.</div>
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Here is what it looks like in our backyard today. Those are piles of compost on one of our garden areas. The snow is nearly gone but we are supposed to get quite a storm this coming Wednesday night into Thursday.</div>
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I posted this page as part of my instagram post today and was asked where I found it.</div>
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Here is the <a href="http://thistledewmercantile.com/category/art-journaling/">link</a>. We fold three pieces of copy paper in half and make little booklets to make our monthly "books". Randomly throughout the month we add a poem, a drawing, etc...</div>
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"March winds and April showers bring</div>
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And it has been windy here! There has been all kinds of kite making. None of the prototypes have been to Abraham's approval, but he keeps trying and researching. </div>
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This afternoon, Abby led Abe and Emmy with some windy tarp play.</div>
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How are you getting ready for spring?</div>
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Warm wishes,</div>
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Tonya</div>
Tonya Gunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140984106118247860noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826587706231091602.post-44436760164000902692018-02-07T10:53:00.002-05:002018-02-07T10:53:56.853-05:00Knitting and Reading<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://gsheller.com/">Ginny</a> is hosting the Yarn Along again. She is posting the first Wednesday of each month and I am happy to join in and am looking forward to seeing what others are knitting and reading.<br />
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I am knitting Emily a sweater, at her request. She wanted it pink and purple and I am writing up the pattern as I go. I already have some revisions for the next one. The yarn is knit picks Wool of the Andes.<br />
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The second photo is of socks for Mike - it is a <a href="https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2008/09/10/whits-knits-mens-socks-for-giving-away/">free pattern from Purl Soho</a>. I am using Westcountry Tweed Yarn from Blacker Yarns. These are the first of my #HandmadeHoliday2018.<br />
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The last picture is my progress on the Sleepy Kitten from the no. 4 edition of <a href="https://makingzine.com/">Making</a>. I made a couple of mistakes already but I am also excited to have learned a new technique - as the legs, tail and arms are knit on - pretty neat. The kitten is a Valentines Day gift for Emily. The yarn is a new wool line from Knit Picks called Simply Wool Worsted and is described as an Eco Wool and all the colors are undyed.<br />
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Well we are expecting a snow storm today! It will be nice as there really is very little snow on the ground. <br />
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Warm wishes,<br />
Tonya<br />
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<br />Tonya Gunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140984106118247860noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826587706231091602.post-64040249890551985112018-02-06T14:47:00.000-05:002018-02-06T15:17:31.448-05:00February Already!<br />
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While members of our family have been taking turns getting sick since shortly after mid January, that has not stopped the ambitions of spring from bringing bright thoughts about all the hopeful plans ahead.<br />
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The light is returning and with it eggs! The twelve, 2-day old chicks we received last August are now laying. In addition, our older girls, 15 in total, are picking up their production as well. We hope to be able to sell 5 dozen per week and still have about 3 dozen for ourselves which would mean that we would be getting our eggs for free. We have found a wonderful source for our grain. A local Amish farmer makes his own - he sources all GMO free grains and then grinds them himself into a formula that works well for his 1800 layers! So we are blessed to be able to buy from him. With this feed, even in the winter, their yolks are nice and orange.<br />
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By the way, all our chickens have names (thanks to Sarah) and they live out their entire natural lives with us, well fed, loved and sheltered.<br />
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As far as the handmade holiday 2018 (#handmadeholiday2018) I don't have much progress to show, today, but I am almost done with Mike's first sock. I have also been working on some other knitting including a sweater for Emily, which after working on several different sizes, am hoping to publish the pattern.<br />
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I gave in and bought my first flowers this winter. When I go food shopping I generally try really hard to walk by the flower section - I love flowers! I did really well, but it seems that each February, I give in. I bought that little pot of begonias at the grocery store on Friday and it was worth the tiny investment to add a little beauty to our living room.<br />
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January was a really hard month for us financially. Having a retail online business means that sales fluctuate quite a bit, but this January was slower than previous Januaries. However, it is a great lesson about being even more conscious of using what we have, making do, and also formulating a plan so that we don't get ourselves in such a situation again next January. (Like saving money!) I know I have shared in the past, but while our life may sound idyllic to some, there are extreme give and takes. However, even when we are on the brink of considering a job or a move, our hearts stay firm in this life and secure in the knowledge that God has always provided, we have always had healthy food, and our children, although I worry we aren't doing enough for them, they will tell you they are very happy right here.Tonya Gunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140984106118247860noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826587706231091602.post-34024994827931120262018-01-19T13:41:00.000-05:002018-01-19T13:41:01.481-05:00Why Handmade and Current Works in Progress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I just wanted to talk a little about why I even bother to make handmade as much as possible. Of course, the the most obvious is the personal satisfaction - the creative outlet - the joy.<br />
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But what I want to talk about today, is the fact that how we choose to spend every cent can be an act of resistance or an act towards changing our economic systems. Who we support with our dollars means everything. So many people think their actions will not matter - but that is crazy thinking. If we all stopped buying at Amazon, then Jeff Bezos would stop being the richest person in history, the CIA would stop paying him, he would cease to own the Washington Post, and he would stop buying out smaller companies. One person should never have so much power. Ultimately, though, the power is in our hands. I know this hard but it is so possible. I think our income may have us very close to the poverty line for a family our size - but we are hardly poor (to me poor means without hope). It is truly a matter of priorities for most (not all - there are many that are not as healthy as we are, don't have any hope in their lives - for many cheap is truly the only option. Please don't think I am judging. )<br />
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So, when I create from raw materials, I am supporting the maker of those raw materials and the business I purchased them from. I definitely don't choose to buy those materials from Amazon (although I have, such as paper - and I am committed to not doing so again). I sometimes buy my yarn from Knitpicks and although, I would much prefer to buy from local stores and small fiber farms, with the amount of knitting I choose to do, I could not afford to do so. However, when possible, I do often buy yarn from my local yarn store in Belfast. Her prices are not any higher than most online stores. This way I support a shop on Main Street, I support an individual that is sharing her passion with others. In addition, when I attend a fiber festival I enjoy supporting the local vendors depending on what my budget can afford, which is such a treat. I am also challenging myself to use up textiles that I come across that would have otherwise been trashed, such as when our children out grow their jeans, recycled jars that can be made into holders, and bits of old clothes that can be used to make quilts.<br />
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The pictures above are my works in progress. The first is my first handmade holiday gift. It is a pair of socks for Mike. Although he sees me knitting them now, he will for sure have forgotten about them by Christmas. The pattern is free from <a href="https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2008/09/10/whits-knits-mens-socks-for-giving-away/">Purl Soho</a> and I am using some yarn I had purchased this past December. My goal is to finish by February 15th or sooner.<br />
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The other is a gift for Emmy for Valentines Day. She was looking over a Rite Aid flyer that came in our mailbox and saw stuffed animals holding candy boxes and thought that would be a wonderful Valentines Gift for herself. I commented that it would be so much better to have a handmade little animal holding a small box of sweets. So, a Valentines Day cat is in progress.<br />
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I look forward to hearing your thoughts and what you are making.<br />
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Warm wishes,<br />
TonyaTonya Gunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140984106118247860noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826587706231091602.post-69149180749656209272018-01-11T08:06:00.001-05:002018-01-11T08:06:44.206-05:00Handmade Holiday 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So, has anyone started making lists and started in on their first handmade gift for 2018? </div>
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I dedicated one of the three moleskin notebooks our oldest daughter, Abby, gave me for Christmas to make lists and keep track. </div>
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I am going to be honest, here. January, February, and March are very hard months for our family financially. These are our businesses slow times. I have been very negligent about saving money for the slow times. This year I am committing myself to not spending anything for just this year unless absolutely necessary. And, when business gets busy, to save money for these down times. </div>
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So philosophically, of course, I believe wholeheartedly in handmade gifts. I avoid big box as much as possible. We enjoyed shopping in nearby downtown Belfast this past Christmas season and supporting local merchants. But, ultimately as much handmade that can be made would be best as long as the recipient is going to appreciate it. So back to being honest. This past December, as our business was busy, I bought several gifts at Amazon - uggghhh! Amazon is something I am committed to not using at all this year and instead, to plan ahead and support local small businesses or simply go without.</div>
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I also love making - that is another reason for a handmade Christmas.</div>
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Finally, I am challenging myself to use the materials and supplies I have on hand for making. If I really dig and am creative, there should be few items I will need to buy.</div>
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And, I am going to share one of my harder goals for this coming year - to not buy any of the beautiful magazines - just for one year. (I actually do like supporting those small businesses and the inspiration is wonderful. This is going to be a very hard one for me!) We need to get our finances in order and I know that I have a stack of back issues that have plenty of use still left in them. Many projects and ideas I have yet to use. I also have plenty of crafty books that I can find more than enough ideas. Oh, and I haven't even mentioned the overwhelming amount of ideas on Instagram or Pinterest. </div>
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I look forward to your sharing. Let's use #handmadeholiday2018 if you like to share that way.</div>
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Warm wishes,</div>
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Tonya</div>
Tonya Gunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140984106118247860noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826587706231091602.post-32975628738497535552018-01-04T16:12:00.002-05:002018-01-04T16:12:33.055-05:00Handmade Christmas for 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So I got very few handmade gifts done this past Christmas and I am determined to do better this coming year.</div>
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The first step is for me to make a list of the people I want to make something for... and then write next to their names something that they could use or would like - that something, being something either Mike or myself could make.</div>
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The next step is to pick one person/project on the list and come up with a plan for that project. For example, if it is a knitted item then I would need to search for a pattern and make a materials list, buy the materials if I don't already have them (although I would really love to use up my stash), and set myself a time frame to get that one project finished. </div>
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Would you like to join me? I am going to use one of the moleskin notebooks Abby gifted me for Christmas, and devote it to Christmas 2018 and start in on the first step. I hope to begin on the first gift by this coming Monday.</div>
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Warm wishes,</div>
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Tonya</div>
Tonya Gunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140984106118247860noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826587706231091602.post-67097962072125902182017-04-10T10:07:00.000-04:002017-04-10T10:07:07.249-04:00Baby Goats and the War Machine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We weren't planning on baby goats this spring as Mike made a separate fenced in area and shelter for our buck and we moved him over the very end of October or the beginning of November. But, this must have happened right before. God must have known I needed baby goats this spring - they are just the sweetest. Yesterday we let them and their mom free range around the yard.</div>
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On a separate, not so sweet note, is this ridiculous war in Syria and it seems as though the administration is about to expand our involvement.</div>
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Please do not believe the main stream media without checking out facts for yourself. Don't even believe your politicians and intelligence agencies without seeing physical proof.</div>
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Please read through these articles and if you agree, contact your representatives and senators and demand that the United States stop arming the so-called rebels, stop escalating our involvement in Syria, let Assad stay in power for now, and get back to the negotiating table. There is no proof that Assad was behind the chemical attacks. Why would he have? He was about to get everything he wanted - The Trump administration had just said the US wouldn't advocate for his removal, Syria and Russia and perhaps the US to some degree as well, were making huge gains in pushing ISIS out, and they were about to resume peace/negotiation talks. </div>
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Really dig into the origins of the Syria war. It was probably not an uprising from within. The likes of the United States, with our so-called allies, Saudi Arabia (does that make any sense???), Turkey and Qatar supported the uprising that eventually over the years attracted members of Al-Qaeda and other radical organizations. Our country, because it is controlled by the wealthiest few, loves war to fund all the corporations and loves the prospect of putting a pipeline through Syria.</div>
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Do you know that Syria was a secular country where women had equal rights (rare for a middle eastern country), people could practice their chosen religion in peace, education was free, and there was a good free health care system. Of course, you couldn't challenge Assad politically, but I don't believe that is reason enough for us to challenge him. Think of how many other countries commit horrific evils to their people, yet we do nothing, for example Saudi Arabia. I am not advocating that we should do anything, but I am just arguing that there is no justification for regime change in Syria.</div>
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Please just remember that our government told us that the Iraq war was justified, that there was proof of weapons of mass destruction. They lied to the American people.</div>
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Here are links to some good articles:</div>
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<a href="https://consortiumnews.com/2017/04/08/where-was-cias-pompeo-on-syria/">https://consortiumnews.com/2017/04/08/where-was-cias-pompeo-on-syria/</a></div>
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<a href="https://consortiumnews.com/2017/04/07/trumps-wag-the-dog-moment/">https://consortiumnews.com/2017/04/07/trumps-wag-the-dog-moment/</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.ronpaulinstitute.org/archives/featured-articles/2017/february/04/the-media-coverage-on-syria-is-the-biggest-media-lie-of-our-time-interview-with-flemish-priest-in-syria/#.WOpu9D_Y-bU.twitter">http://www.ronpaulinstitute.org/archives/featured-articles/2017/february/04/the-media-coverage-on-syria-is-the-biggest-media-lie-of-our-time-interview-with-flemish-priest-in-syria/#.WOpu9D_Y-bU.twitter</a></div>
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<a href="http://corbettreport.com/">corbettreport.com</a></div>
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Sorry for the heaviness but I feel that it is so important.</div>
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Warm wishes,</div>
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Tonya</div>
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Tonya Gunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140984106118247860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826587706231091602.post-68346475235877191822017-03-19T16:39:00.001-04:002017-03-19T16:39:32.164-04:00This Weekend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I treated myself to a $3.99 bouquet when food shopping on Friday and I am so happy I did. Flowers make me feel so happy. </div>
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On Saturday, we boiled off some sap from Friday's run. It was only about 3 gallons of sap, so we just did it on the stove. I baked two loaves of bread and Abby made a cake.</div>
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Part of our payment for working at our neighbor's organic farm on Tuesdays and Thursdays is food. They had some local frozen lamb shanks which I have never had before. They are cooking all afternoon today. I also added vegetable stock, red wine, onions, garlic, potatoes and carrots.</div>
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Yesterday and today the sap is flowing a bit more, so Mike is boiling the sap outside. He made this from metal roofing and we have our roaster pans holding the sap and then we bring it into the house to finish it off.</div>
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The view of our back yard today. Tomorrow, though, is the first day of spring!</div>
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Today with it warming up a bit, I was able to clean out the chicken coop.</div>
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Wishing you a wonderful week ahead.</div>
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Warmly,</div>
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Tonya</div>
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Tonya Gunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140984106118247860noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826587706231091602.post-29690625102013835482017-03-15T07:51:00.001-04:002017-03-15T07:51:19.757-04:00By Faith<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So our family has settled into our new little homestead here in Maine. We love the house, the land, our neighbors, and our intimate church family. However, our business has slowed down to the point in the last couple of years that we simply are not able to really "get by". We have never gone hungry, but it just seems as if it should not be so, and not responsible to continue with such uncertainty. We have opened ourselves up to the possibility that we are being moved in another direction. While we keep our business going, either Mike or I will be working two days at an organic vegetable farm just one mile up the road. That will help just a bit but really we are opening ourselves completely up to what God has to offer us in terms of vocation and employment. To be honest, I am tired of being stressed about finances and wondering which bill I can pay on which day and if we are going to have enough sales tomorrow to go food shopping, for example. I am tired of not being able to afford to go to the dentist. I trust in God but I also know that we are to use wisdom and to listen. So I open myself up and I pray for guidance and wisdom and for clarity that either our business provides or that new opportunities make themselves apparent. So keep our family in your prayers and let me know how I can pray for you as well.<br />
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Warm wishes,<br />
TonyaTonya Gunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140984106118247860noreply@blogger.com7