Baseball Days

Baseball season has started.  Isaac, our 12 year old, loves the game.  Generally, our whole family attends each game, the little ones usually play on the playground if there is one in between visiting me at the blanket and chairs (wonderful knitting time, of course).  Dear husband helps to coach the team.   

Choosing to live as we do, we limit activites for each child because if we were on the go all the time, we wouldn't have the family together as much as we should, be able to live modestly, or get the work done that is required here on our farmstead.  (Having one vehicle also helps to keep this in check.)   But, baseball season is special and it is a short season, and playing sure brings a smile to Isaac's face.

Warm wishes,
Tonya

Weekend

 
Of course lots of gardening went on and the goat fence was finished (thank you dear husband!)  The goats are growing, the lawn was mowed, and Abby had her ballet recital yesterday, on Mother's Day - a very nice way to spend the afternoon.

Happy Monday.
Warm wishes, Tonya

My Mom

So thankful that she gave birth to me even when she became pregant at the age of 20 and my father was just 19; even while in middle of her college education.

Even though their marriage ended in divorce when I was seven, I am thankful that through financial trials and hardships that she never made us feel poor and I can't remember hearing her complain even while she worked full time as a preschool teacher and at times, worked two part time jobs so that we could live in decent housing, eat decent food, even providing for my sister and I to take dance lessons.

I am grateful that she introduced me to frugal living and gardening and that she would make our Halloween costumes each year using what we could find.

So thankful that she would take my sister and I camping during the summer - just the three of us.

My mother's attitude when hitting a road block was always - "ok, if we can't do it this way, let's figure out a different way to make it work." This has stuck with me through my life.

Although our relationship during my teenage years was rough, I am thankful that we are now very close friends. Even now when we live a five hour drive away from one another, and we don't see each other as often as we would like, just knowing that she is a phone call away is comforting.

Thank you Mom, I love you.

Love, Tonya

And Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms.



Simple Food

With the last few days being rainy and cool, I reflected on the simple food I prepare for my family.

One night we had quiche for supper.  I was so happy a couple of years ago, to finally find a simple pie crust recipe that is easy to roll out.  It is from The Amish Cook.

Never-Fail Pie Crust

2 cups flour (all whole wheat or half white, half wheat)

3/4 t. salt

 2/3 cup lard or butter

2 t apple cider vinegar

1 egg

3 1/2 T. ice water

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt.  Cut in the lard or butter with a pastry blender until the mixutre is uniform.  In a separate bowl (I just use the same bowl to have less dishes to wash...) blend the vinegar, egg, and water.  Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, pour the vinegar mixture into the well, and stir until blended.  Work the dough into a ball.  Divide this ball into two.  For each pie crust, press one ball into a flat circle and roll into 1/8" thick.

With some local spinach, our onions and garlic, our hen's eggs, and some cheese, quiche is a satisfying meal.

Another evening, I made soup on the woodstove and baked some muffins and biscuits to go with it.

Carrots, Onions, Rice and Local Pasture Raised Sausage

I am looking forward to our meals transitioning to reflect the offerings of spring very soon.

What are you eating?

Warm wishes,

Tonya

Knitting Socks and Reading about Goats

Joining in with Ginny of Small Things this Wednesday for her Knit Along....

After trying to work a pair of socks on double pointed needles in the round, I gave up because it all felt too uncomfortable.  I then searched for a two needle sock pattern because I really want to knit everyone socks and mittens this spring and summer - nice small portable projects to carry with me outside and in.

I came across this pattern and was so happy with my first sock.  It fits Sarah very well. They are knit using Plymouth Yarn, Encore DK, 75% acrylic and 25% wool, purchased at our local yarn shop. For $3.90 a skein (50 gm), it should be about $5.00 for a pair for the children.  For Sarah, who takes about a size 13 shoe, I knit on size 3 needles and cast on 48 stitches.  I plan to increase or decrease in multiples of 4 to make different sizes for everyone.

Now that we have the two baby goats, I am eager to learn all I can about their care.  I found this book at our library, Goat Song - A Seasonal Life, A Short Hisotry of  Herding, and the Art of Making Cheese.  So far I have enjoyed reading about this family's experiences.

Looking forward to hearing and seeing what you are knitting and reading.

Warm wishes, Tonya

Trout Lily Cake, Stonescapes, and Pollywogs

Abby made a chocolate cake and added trout lily blossoms to decorate it.

I knew Nolan had been working on cleaning out our little drainage streams on our property, but it brought a smile to my face when I noticed that he had even added a rock border on one.

Later I noticed Nolan working with some of the younger children.  This pipe is from our well overflow (there is no electricity involved, but for some reason there is this excess of water that has to flow out somewhere).  The pipe was by the edge of the pond making a muddy mess and now it is rather peaceful to look at.  We are so blessed to have this water source for watering the gardens and the animals.  It is also fine for drinking and flows year round, so we are never without a source of water.

Abraham has been spending time catching pollywogs and tadpoles.

So thankful for spring.

Warm wishes,

Tonya



Growing Food

While the rest of the family is off at the baseball field helping to fix the fencing and play on the playground late this Sunday afternoon,  I thought I would take a moment to share some of what we have been doing here on our little homestead.

The warmth of the sun has been helping to dry the soil and really get things growing.  The snap peas and lettuce have sprouted, which I am so excited about - our first food of the year is on its way.

Mike (dear husband) has been putting up the fencing for the goats.  He is making good progress.  We are just using saplings and fencing that we have found, was left behind, or given to us.  We truly don't buy new things all that often.

I have been doing lots in the gardens.  I am expanding them quite a bit.  Last year was our first planting season here and all of the garden areas are brand new - there was not an existing garden - so it does take time.  Our strategy has been to pile compost into the back of our old Suburban (which we have access to for free from a neighbor that has 5 -6 year old composted cow manure - pure black and beautiful stuff!), and then shovel it out into piles on our property.  From there, I wheelbarrow several loads a day to wherever I am planting and just put it right on top of the soil.  If there are a lot of weeds or grass, I just turn it over with a shovel and shake out the soil and then throw the weeds into the chicken's fenced in area.  We do not till the gardens. 

In between the rows I put the chicken house little (in other words, poopy old hay), to provide some protection from weeds and then to become part of the soil for next year. 

So far I have planted about half of the onions, lettuce, snap peas, carrots and parsnips.  For flowers, sweet peas and bachelor buttons.  Next on my list is mixing half sand and half compost to make the mounds for early potato planting.  The small potatoes we over wintered in the basement look great and are growing little sprouts.

Oh, I could just spend the entire day outside when it is as lovely as it has been.  It is amazing how quickly the time goes when you are working.  However, I think everyone would get quite hungry and the house would soon be a mess, and there are always orders to work on - so it is a balance of time.  I am so grateful, though, for the time I do spend outside growing food for our family.

Happy May!

"Welcome be thou, faire, fresshe May."

Geoffrey Chaucer

Warm wishes,

Tonya