For the Care and Love of a Chicken

Sarah, our 6 year old daughter is our chicken keeper - she always has been. At two years old she would carry the girls around, talk to them, scold them when they picked on another chicken.

Her love for her dear chickens was expressed more than ever the day before yesterday as she cared for a sick chicken.

When I went outside she walked towards me carrying this ~

Tears streamed down my cheeks as my heart melted as I reflected on her tenderness and care.

I thought for sure that this chicken would be dying within hours as she could barely keep her eyes open. Sarah brought her on the porch and spoon fed her milk and then we gave her a bit of oil and rubbed her neck in case she had something stuck in her throat.

We prayed and talked about God's plan for the chicken and that she may be ready to die.

She continued to massage her neck and fed her and let her sleep off and on throughout the afternoon. By the next morning the chicken was up on its feet and seemingly better; not 100% but truly better.

Thank you Sarah for taking the time to care for this chicken. I know she wasn't one of your favorite ones that you had named, but just the same you taught us that it is important never to give up and with a little love and care anything is possible.

Warm wishes, Tonya

Rhubarb Sauce

This sauce is a bit tart but oh so yummy on cakes and pancakes.

Cut up the rhubarb into 1/2 inch slices or so.

~Sarah chopping the rhubarb.~

We ended up with about 5 cups of sliced rhubarb. Place in saucepan and add 3 T. honey and 3 T. sugar. (We had brown sugar.) Cook over medium heat, when it starts boiling, turn it down low and take the cover off to let some of the water cook off. (You don't need to add any water.)

~I pour it into a canning jar and store in the refrigerator just like I would applesauce.~

That's it. So simple and so yummy!

What are you harvesting and cooking or baking from what is available now?

Warm wishes, Tonya

Baseball Anyone?

Abraham (at two) enjoys grabbing a glove, ball, and bat and grabbing Dad if he is available to play a little baseball. We have all been attending Isaac's baseball games this spring and they are close to winding down for the season.

(Our yard is partially dirt still from digging out our basement summer as we wait for the grass and weeds to grow in themselves. With free range chickens, grass seed would just be a treat.)

Warm wishes, Tonya

Oil,Greed, and Conservation

I felt compelled to write about my reactions to the terrible disaster going on with oil pouring into the ocean in such vast amounts it is beyond our comprehension. Such vast amounts that it is reported in barrels instead of gallons to not sound as shocking perhaps.

The devastation of the untold numbers of wildlife, the thousands of people unable to work in the fishing or tourist industries, and the possible toll the oil will have on other people, creatures, industries, etc.. is very sad indeed. We are a country of dive right in if it means financial gain, worry about the possible consequences when they happen. It is amazing that there were not more shut off valves in place to guard against such an event.

While I do blame the company for lack of safety precautions and the government for lack of regulations, I also feel that each of us (almost all of us) are also to blame. We have such a thirst for cheap oil that the companies keep digging new oil rigs, keep searching for more oil in beautiful untouched reaches of our earth.

As a nation, we want to be able to drive our two or more cars all over the place whenever the urge strikes to go and buy goods or food that has often been produced in big factories that use amazing amounts of oil/gas/electricity and then the goods have to be transported often thousands of miles (many, many all the way from China) which of course also uses our natural resources. We want it cheap and we want it now.

If everyone thought through their every purchase; thought about every time they "needed" to drive somewhere; thought about where their food was coming from; thought about if they truly must turn on or even use all the electrical appliances in their house - demand would decrease.

I know I am probably too idealistic, but I believe that ONE does and can make a difference and that God does want us to care for this amazing earth we have been given.

Suzy and her family are an example of a movement toward conservation. You can read lots more here.

You can learn more about a movement led by Bill McKibben at 350.org

Until we let go of our reliance on oil and each person learns to live a life of conservation, the earth is at continued risk. I know this post is different than our usual homestead updates. However, as a family, we do choose to live lightly on this earth and to be ever mindful of how our every action has a chain reaction. Our family has so very far to go and sometimes we don't make the best decisions but this oil spill has made it even clearer to me that each of us is responsible, not just the big oil company and not just our government.

Warm wishes, Tonya

Birch Bark Vase Cover

Our irises are in full bloom now and they are plentiful around our pond.

We also have lots of birch trees which we selectively harvested for our toys and we also use the bark for various projects.

I cut a piece of bark to fit a recycled honey jar and hot glued the seam - super easy.

Warm wishes, Tonya

Work Tables

I snapped photos of our different work in progress "work tables" yesterday.

The above picture is of our stainless steel counter in our kitchen. Yesterday I baked bread, "healthy" chocolate chip cookies, and cinnamon cranberry muffins. I made egg salad for lunch (we have lots of eggs right now, although a fox killed one of our chickens yesterday...). Mike is working on a large wholesale order for our branch block walking blocks. You can see the branch pieces in the picture.

By 2:00 or so, the counter was completely clear to begin preparing for an early supper before Isaac's baseball game.

This is a concrete base that we figured out was built to hold a very large diving board (we found in the woods upon moving here). The holes in the concrete match up to those in the diving board and the pond is at its deepest point there.

For us it was being used yesterday to hold peeled logs that are to become our railing for our front steps; sun tea; and more cut branches drying to become branch walking blocks.

Blessings and warm wishes for a full and joyful day,

Tonya

Handmade Things

I have been enjoying making these vests....

The pattern is free and can be found here.

I knit up another doll and added a sweater and hat to put in our shop.

We are also working on adding some more rustic items to our rustic wedding line.

And...

the summer issue of Rhythm of the Home is out!

Warm wishes, Tonya