SouleMama

notes from the garden journal

{photo by Ezra}

As August approaches, the garden is humming along at a steady pace. My weekly Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association pest report from their crop specialist Eric Sideman began this week with "I would still call this a difficult growing season." Granted, being the pest report, it tends to have a bit of a pragmatic and slightly pessimistic tone, but truth be told I took a sigh of relief when I read that...just like I have each time I hear from another farmer or gardener around here that they've struggled a bit this year too. It isn't just me. But not all is lost - not even close. There are many things doing quite well in this garden of ours, they're just doing it slowly. Slow and steady we might be able to harvest most of it yet before frost comes!

Some notes from my garden journal (which upon reflection, I realize is all about the weeds and the bugs. Which is what gardening is really all about, right? Ah, but with a love of the process and the glory of a basketfull of goodness at the end of it too).....

~~~ Borage is my new best friend in the garden. After hearing that it was a deterrent to the hornworms we seem to always get en masse, I planted it all around my tomatoes this year. Not only do I think it's working, but oh that really is such a lovely, lovely blue. And it self seeds, right? Borage forever!

~~~ My daughter's garden is free of weeds. Mine is not.

~~~ The Potato Lady told me to try planting my potatoes later than usual to miss the emergence of the dreaded potato beetles. We did that (planting in mid May), and my goodness, there are no beetles on my potatoes! I've been pulling a few of the earlies this week for dinner and oh, I think they're so beautiful fresh out of the ground. 

~~~ While we are for the first time free of both hornworms and potato beetles, we are for the first time seeing cucumber beetles. Everywhere. Which means we may have no cucumbers and little squash this year. Next year I'll row cover, but for now, we are hand picking and saving a few plants, I hope.

~~~ Kale is a superfood, indeed. We had so much last year, that when the chickens got into the garden this spring and ate the seedlings down to nothing, I decided to just let it go and not worry about kale this year. Wouldn't you know, those nibbled-down-to-nothing seedlings bounced back and are all the stronger plants for it. We're all glad - summer isn't summer without those green smoothies.  

~~~ I've been so greatly rewarded by the few flowers I decided to grow this summer. This week, I'm watching the ranunculus closely with anticipation. This morning, instead of weeding the onions, I staked the tall and heavy cosmos stalks. Simple, pretty pleasures.

~~~ I'm finding myself more challenged than ever this year to spend time as I want to in the garden, but it's a lovely life reminder for me in many ways. The garden is there....thriving, perhaps, on a bit of neglect. The plants will grow (or not). And when I do have moments to spend in it, the gift becomes to me. As ten minutes weeding in the garden, I've decided, is equivalent to the same amount of time spent knitting, meditation, or reading. Amidst the chaos that surrounds or the stress that descends, it restores in such a reliable and full way. I am so grateful to be out there when I am - ten minutes at a time.

~~~ This year I tried staking my tomatoes with the Florida weave. I think it gives my tomato plants bad posture - they're slouchy and it's hard to get at the fruit. I'm missing my fencing and t-shirt ties - next year I'll go back to that. 

~~~ In years past, we've always mulched with straw. When the price of straw doubled over the winter, and our garden grew by a third at the same time, I decided to try a few other things this year. Using mostly what we could get our hands on around the house, we've got rows of pine needles, straw, hay, leaves, wood shavings and and wood chips. The mid-season winners? Leaves and wood chips, by far.

~~~ One of the greatest pleasures in my summer life is the late afternoon on which I do not know yet what is for dinner...until I grab my straw hat, slip on my garden shoes, and gather the large harvest basket to wander around and gather. As simple as the ingredients and meals may be, they are ours. 

at the table

 {I've been thinking a lot about this table of mine.
Thinking about all that happens on and around it, and how it truly is a center for our family life.
How the things upon it are so reflective of who and where are at any given moment.
And so, perhaps, I think a photo series was born...}

7.28.12, 6:15 am

We're awake before everyone else, the three of us. While Steve is out feeding the animals, Annabel and I are enjoying a few quiet moments. There are muffins in the oven. On the table is a favorite mug with hot tea, warm oatmeal for the baby girl, flowers from a dear friend, and laundry brought in from the line just before dusk last night, ready for someone to fold today.

In just a while, everyone else will stumble down the stairs and wonder what's for breakfast. We have guests coming to help us with a hefty farm task, and there will be much activity, and lunch to make for a crowd even bigger than my own, and surely negotiating over just who folds that basket of laundry to follow.

But for now, there is this. This moment with my baby girl and our breakfast, and the birds we watch outside the window. Starting this day, at the table.

w e e k e n d i n g

A bit of rain meant a break from the garden weeds. With needles in hand, I watched the bicyling in the rain and waited for the storm to pass us by. It was a much appreciated pause on a lovely summer day.

Wishing you many wonderful weekend moments today!

SouleMama Sponsor ~ Monaluna ~

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Today, I bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Monaluna. In Jennifer's words:

"Monaluna is a small organic fabric company run out of a 100-year-old ranch house in Walnut Creek, CA. We design and sell GOTS-certified organic cotton for use in quilting, apparel, crafts and home decor projects.

You can follow along with us on the Monaluna blog."

SouleMama: What inspired you to start your business?

Jennifer: In 2009 I had been licensing my artwork for use on conventional cotton for a couple of years when I heard an NPR piece on the health effects of pesticides on cotton farmers in India. I knew that a lot of the cotton I used was grown there, and the program really personalized the issue for me. After learning more about cotton farming, both in the US and abroad, I became more and more concerned about the large quantities of pesticides used and the detrimental effects on farmers, farming communities and the environment. I became convinced that the industry needed a nudge toward more sustainable practices, and thought that by offering more fabric options I could help inspire more consumers to purchase organic cotton. 

SouleMama: How do you keep yourself motivated and avoid burnout?

Jennifer: So far I’m the only full-time Monaluna employee, though my husband helps out a ton when he’s not at his day job. One of the wonderful things about running such a small business is that I get to wear all the hats, and that keeps the work fresh and interesting. Of course, the downside is that there are a lot of hats to wear, and some days it’s hard to switch gears and stay on top of it all. Right now I’m working on a new collection, and the kind of attention I need to do that work is more focused and sustained. I always fall a little behind on email and business when I’m in design mode. 

SouleMama: Is there a special place that inspires you?

Jennifer: There’s a huge live oak tree in a hiking area not far from my house, and I love to go sit in that tree and think. It must be ancient, and its branches are all twisted and moss-covered, and some are bowed to the ground. Something about the age and grace and persistence of that tree puts things in perspective for me, and I always feel more calm and balanced after my tree meditations.

For today's giveaway, Monaluna is generously offering the following to TWO winners: 

~ a fat quarter bundle of the collection, Fox Hollow
(Each bundle includes 10 prints and 4 solids.)

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To enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person, please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 8am EST on  Sunday, and announce the winner(s), chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments closed!

Thank you to Monaluna! 

The winner is:

Inspiring story. Wonderful fabric. Thanks for the giveaway!
Posted by: Susan

ooh so full of life.thx for the chance!
Posted by: Sara 

{this moment}

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{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

on being a grownup

I recently overheard the boys discussing the best and worst things about what they imagine grown up life to be. Topping the list of not-so-great in their minds was "cleaning after someone throws up". Their idea of the best? Getting to pick the biggest ice cream cone size you want.

I've been thinking about that conversation ever since I heard it. And yes, yes...of course there are grand and global answers to their question - the joy of mothering them topping the list of the best and of course there's plenty of real world, big-picture heartbreak and pain on the other side.  But I keep getting caught up in the everyday mudane of their question. Because yes, cleaning up after someone throws up isn't all that great, but cleaning up after a fox has visited the broiler chicken pen and wreaked havoc? Even less fun. Paying the bills after the unexpected collapse of a large appliance and a vehicle in one week? Decidely not my favorite parts of being a grown up.

But they really aren't all that far off in their estimation. Because on the flip side, it still - after twelve years as The Mama - gives me great thrill to realize that I'm the one (of two, of course) who gets to say on a hot summer afternoon (upon realizing that I have no dinner plan), "Grab your suits and get in the car! We're going to the lake and having ice cream for dinner!" 

 

I do so love being the grownup.

morning :: noon :: night

More often than not, on these full and wonderfully long summer days, our children have been collapsing into their respective beds with no effort and even less fanfare. Tired, happy and dirty from their days spent running, biking, swinging, swimming - the work of a child's summer. We are soon to follow, my love and I - far earlier than we are accustomed to, but oh, it feels so good to give into the feeling of tired deep in our bones that comes from the work of our own summer days. Before we do though, there's a moment - a quiet simple little moment that we've happened upon for more than a few nights now. I'm coming to treasure this moment. Too tired to really dissect the day behind us or plan the one ahead, our words are few. Sitting on the front porch, all those little details and troubles of the day are blurred into a simple and perfect clarity by the last bit of pink in the sky, or the fiery stars above. Exhale. It was a good day, this one. 

filling in the gap (with wool)

When I first mentioned to folks that we were getting sheep or had sheep for the purpose of fiber, the natural question that followed was "Are you a spinner?"  "Not yet" was my reply. And that's what I meant, truly. Though I had (have) no idea what I'm doing, I had no doubt that I would be a spinner, since the day I started knitting. Well before we had a farm, I just knew that sometime, somewhere, somehow spinning would be a part of my life - it was just one of those things you know, you know? And here we are, with the pieces falling into place, one step at a time, filling in the gap from sheep to knitting. Which is all to say that last Friday night I found myself with five sleeping children (a miracle in and of itself), with a bathtub full of my very first fleece from my very own sheep. With glass of wine, and knitting at my side, I washed it (and washed it and rinsed it and washed it and rinsed it, oh my!). Through the weekend, it dried on an old, retired (it doesn't fit any doorways here) mesh baby gate.

On Sunday, quite by chance and quite by good luck, a pair of Ashford hand carders landed in my lap from a neighboring farmer (and spinner). And with those in my hands, the carding began. Before I even realized what was happening, I was sitting on the front porch drop spindling my very own wool. And it all felt quite wonderful, and amazing, and just as it should be. A bliss just like I had imagined. 

What I hadn't quite imagined, but should have, is that we'd all be doing it. While my mind was being blown from the reality of what I was doing on that rocker on the front porch, there were simultaneous minds being blown at my side. Harper sat at my side with a skein of bright pink yarn shouting, "out the gate, through the window, off jumps jack! I got it!" (he was close, anyway). 

And a step down from him was my Adelaide, my co-shephardess who hasn't quite found her way with knitting or spinning yet, but so desperately wants to play with the fiber from the sheep she loves. There she was, with her own mind being blown as she discovered needle felting. "Mom, it's ART and MY SHEEP, together!" She hasn't put that foam pad and basket of roving down since.

With these two happily at my side on their own fiber art, I'm slowly but steadily filling up a basket of rolags. Because I've got a date on the calendar with a spinner and a wheel.  Oh yes...filling the gap between sheep and knitting. (All of us.)

while he was away

My (not so baby) boy is home! Ah...can you hear that exhale coming straight from this mama's heart? For as much as we love and encourage all these wonderful adventures of theirs out on their own in the world, there is a slight holding of breath that happens, at least in these (early, still) years. For a few weeks sleep was disjointed, movements strange, table setting even stranger as I was reminded that 'someone was missing'. It was, of course, balanced by smiles thinking about what he was up to, and by the arrival of those letters every few days reminding me of just how special this time away is for him. Each letter bore a remarkable resemblance to the last with a sprinkling of the word "AWESOME," followed by enough exclamation points to properly fill the page. Yes. Camp was good.

(A pillow - filled with sawdust - that Adelaide made and left on his bed the day Calvin left for camp.)

While he was away, I got to work on a little surprise project for him in the form of a little bedroom redo. Yes, yes, we haven't even been here quite two years. But his room, I must confess, was the one that got rather slapped together in a rush at the end when we were up against the calendar to move in. The original paint color he chose wasn't available at the time, and his floor never got a second coat, and oh...it was a rush job. A rush job that I noticed often, and that Calvin - who keeps the cleanest room in the house - surely noticed too. So these past weeks, it all got a proper clean - out, the paint he original chose (Yolo Water 07) on the walls, fresh paint on the floors, and other little things like newly painted drawer knobs and framed pictures of some of his recent dance performances. 

I (and he) have been puzzling for a while now over a solution to all the posters on his walls. Particularly all the 8x10 magazine covers and pull outs that go in and out and on and off the walls seemingly so often (depending on their performance in a given game? I never can tell). The holes they leave in the plaster are messy, at best. I headed to Twitter for a solution and was grateful for all the great ideas that poured in - putty! cork! magnetic paint! And then a few folks directed me to this idea of an art board, found in a little book called The Creative Family. Oh, right! That! It was just right for this little corner, and that little holes-in-the-plaster problem.

He was so excited about his new room, but we were, of course, more excited to see him. The older amongst us try to restrain ourselves at least a bit to, you know, allow him to sleep and all. But the littlest ones among us show it most truly - they haven't left his side.

Soon he heads off to his next summer adventure (I know! To be eleven!), but for right this very minute we are all soaking up being our full seven. Together at home.

 

SouleMama Sponsor ~ Thirsties ~

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Today, I bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Thirsties Baby. In Sadler's words:

"At Thirsties it is our desire to make it easy and affordable for every family to choose cloth diapers.  Whether you are using cloth diapers for the financial savings, for the health of it, or for the environmental benefits, we believe you are making the great choice for your baby.  Only the best USA-sourced components are chosen for our products in order to reduce our carbon footprint, to help support domestic textile mills and our local economy, and to ensure that Thirsties cloth diapers will last wash after wash. We are dedicated to creating only the highest quality cloth diapers and accessories, with exceptional design and unparalleled performance. 

 Please follow our blog to stay up-to-date on Thirsties, to read posts about cloth diaper and other parenting topics, and to participate in our weekly giveaways."

SouleMama: How do you come up with new designs and ideas?

Sadler: We originally thought we were in the diaper business, making a commodity-like product that saves our customers money and benefits the health of our babies and the environment.  After talking to our customers we quickly realized that we are just as much in the fashion industry.  Of course moms and dads want a diaper that performs, that keeps the poop and pee in the diaper, but our customers really do want a diaper that they think is cute on their baby.  It is almost like a fashion accessory.  To get design ideas for our new prints we peruse sites like Etsy and Pinterest to see what colors and designs are popular and then we have our designer come up with her own designs that are aligned with current fashions in the overall baby industry. We also perform polls on Facebook to find out what our customers want to see us introduce next.

SouleMama: How do you keep yourself motivated and avoid burnout?

Sadler: Actually, I really don’t have a problem staying motivated.  We have so many things that we are excited about doing with the business that it makes easy to get up and come in to work each day.  I know that we are in the early stages of this modern era of cloth diapers so there is certainly some room for product improvement and innovation.  Also, we have a wonderful team at Thirsties and I enjoy working alongside these people every day. 

SouleMama: Is there a special place that inspires you?

Sadler: The ocean.  I find that when I am sitting on a surfboard in the ocean I am most at ease and my mind is the clearest.  In those moments I can be inspired by the beauty of my surroundings, be inspired to simplify my life, inspired to live more intentionally, or inspired to pursue my life goals with more focus.  I can also feel this just about anywhere I am surrounded by nature.  Thankfully I live in beautiful Colorado.

For today's giveaway, Thirsties Baby is generously offering the following to TWO winners:   

A gift bundle including:

~ Two Thirsties diaper products in our cute, new argyle prints. 
(The winner can select color (Scottish Storm or Scottish Rose) style (Duo Diaper, Duo All In One, or Duo Wrap), size (1 or 2), and closure (Aplix/snap). 

~ and one jar of our awesome certified organic diaper ointment; Booty Love. 

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To enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person, please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 8am EST on Monday, and announce the winner(s), chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments closed!

Thank you to Thirsties Baby!

The winners are:

we love these!
Posted by: sarah langlois

Love thirsties! Fun design! Thanks!
Posted by: Seneca

SouleMama Sponsor ~ Sarah Jane Studios ~

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Today, I bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Sarah Jane Studios. In Sarah Jane's words:

"Hello! I'm Sarah Jane, a fabric designer, children's book illustrator and designs art and paper goods for children. I recently launched the OUT TO SEA fabric collection and am hosting a blog tour for the summer with free projects and downloads.  Come on by! "

Visit Sarah Jane on her blog!

SouleMama: Do you have a favorite inspirational quote you'd like to share?

Sarah Jane: Yes, but today I share a poem. one that's meant a lot to me lately. One that embodies the power and the delicacy of the dreams in all of us: in adults reaching for their passions, and children seeing the world as they do.  

Had I the heavens’ embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

~ W.B. Yeats

For today's giveaway, Sarah Jane Studios is generously offering the following to one winner:

 ~ a $50 gift certificate to Sarah Jane Studios, and a fabric fat quarter bundle!   

In addition, Sarah Jane is offering a 20% discount to Soule Mama readers off their total purchase. Just use the code "SOULEMAMA20" at checkout. Offer expires 7/28/12.

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To enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person, please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 8am EST on Sunday, and announce the winner(s), chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments closed!

Thank you to Sarah Jane Studios!

The winner is...

Love this artwork!
Posted by: Sue@pinehill

 

{this moment}

. . . . . . . .

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

today's arrivals

{Papa's new favorite Silk Oak tee.}

The turkeys are here! Today we got that early morning post office call that we've all come to love. As Papa returned with birds in hand, the turkey welcoming committtee was on standby. After some oohing and aahing, and just a bit of snuggling, Adelaide and Harper settled those two day old turkey chicks right into their brooder home in the barn where they'll hang out for just a short while to grow some before moving out to pasture. Or, more accurately, the pasture that doesn't exist yet because we still need to fence it in. Details, details. (The fencing never ends.)

We chose heritage turkeys this year, rather than the common breed more easily found (and that we raised last year). Last years trial of turkey raising was a success for us - after some initial loss, we found them easy to care for, a pleasure to watch, and oh so good for all the fertilizing and bug eating that they did in the orchard where we kept them. We finished the year with nine turkeys, which were a wonderful treat to share as gifts with friends and family, and to enjoy ourselves as a special feast throughout the winter and spring months.

With this years heritage breeds, I had intended to have two dozen Auburns, but the small hatchery we used had a difficult hatching year (hence the late turkey start for us) and we've ended up with a mix of Auburns, Bourbon Reds, Golden Narragansett, Red Bronze and Slate, oh my! They are already a colorful and beautiful bunch, I am as eager as my little girl to see them grow into their distinct breed colorings. (And I will confess to you my homesteading fantasy of keeping a few of them around for breeding. We'll see!)

With them in place, the barn and pastures are officially at capacity for this year, and this little farm of ours feels more alive than we've ever felt it before. It feels good.

wednesday work

I woke early this morning to begin the day. (Though not as early as the girl who had already found her way to the pasture. She said the rooster woke her up. We have no rooster.)

A written to do list wasn't exciting me, and so a visual photographic list it is. All good things, all things I'm looking forward to, all demanding my attention today: editing the lovely pieces that have come in as submissions for Taproot's RETREAT issue, due out in early September; weeding, weeding and more weeding; and a painting project so very close to complete. Should all of that slide nicely into completion or more likely, at least into the 'enough for today' column, I shall wrestle that (big!) bundle of fleece to the bathtub and wash it. It's beginning to, well, smell like the barnyard in my studio. (Which isn't such a terrible thing, really.)

Cheers to good work and good play alike. Wishing you a day with the same!

the gift of handmade

Calvin, 2005

Harper, this morning

Most of the time, the handmades go in and out of rotation without any particular attention being paid to where they came from. This is as it should be for little ones with much better things to think about than who made their clothes. Without knowing for certain, it's just assumed that everything either came from Mama's sewing machine, a thrift shop or a generous bag of friendly shares. There are those others - that for one reason or another, or sometimes no reason at all - carry with them a little something more and we all remember - or at least mention - each and every time they're worn. A memory. A family story. "You made this Gretl dress for Calvin's fifth birthday because he loved The Sound of Music so much and wanted to be Gretl, right Mama? That's funny."

But the origins are never lost on me. Each day when my children dress themselves it is inevitable that a bit of handmade makes its way onto someone. I am not flattering myself by thinking that's because they prefer my handmades, it's quite simply a matter of the odds being in my favor in the stacks in their dressers. And so it is that at some point in each day as my littles come wandering down the stairs all sleepy eyed, lovely, and ready to greet the day...I notice. A freezer-paper stenciled tshirt that's still hanging in there. A pair of shorts I made out of Papa's old flannel shirt. A lazy day skirt. A handknit sock...and if they're lucky....a matching one on the other foot. 

And in that quick and fleeting moment in the day, in the depths of my mind only, I am reminded of the gift of handmade. And I am reminded that the gift of handmade is not at all just a gift given to the recipient....but to the Maker, to this Mama, too. For I am suddenly transported to the long, cold winter I knit those socks by the fire with coloring books and crayons as the child's work at my side; the smile on my three (now eleven) year old's face when he stood at the edge of the ocean wearing those shorts that day we were visiting with friends and the kite got stuck in a tree; the skirt I made for her big sister with a matching one for their cousin that made them giggle all afternoon, little the toddling and newly walking babies that they were.

In that passing moment, with feet firmly planted in the present, I am surrounded by the past. And in these days of parenting that are so very fleeting, I am given the gift of a little glimpse back. I get to hold them - in the memory in my mind anyway - for just a moment more. 

After waiting anxiously for six days, we finally got our first letters home from our summer camper, away from home for the first time. Calvin's having a grand time - his repeated use of the word 'AWESOME' in all caps was reassuring. He says "the food is good. It's pretty much like Mom's". And that makes me giggle, because I don't really know what that means. 

Harper's been wearing the Yummy Yucky pants a lot these days. So named because that's what the embroidered pockets say. I made them for Calvin when he was four. I was pregnant in the summer heat for the first time, and not always loving that feeling of the heat, pregnancy, and a breastfeeding toddler to boot. I remember that the embroidered stitches helped me tune out some of that discomfort. If I close my eyes and try real hard, I can hear the needle punching through the fabric, feel a backyard blanket under me, and hear two young boys giggling. I remember serging the pants with black thread because it's all I had, and I was anxious to get them done. I remember Calvin wearing them a lot that summer, and nearly every time I picture him on his skateboard, helmet on, sometimes safety goggles too.

Not all that unlike his big brother, Harper loves his gear too. His toolbox is often in hand, as he bounces about from project to project, following Papa all day long. He spends a lot of time hammering nails into soft wood stumps. (His brother did that too.) His bangs are long this summer. He says he wants to grow his hair out. He has to tilt his head a little bit to see past his bangs when he looks up at us. It's turning from his baby blond to brown, just like all of his siblings did before him. 

Someday in the not so far off distant future, these pants could still be around. They might need a new elastic waist before the next child. They could just get lost along the way, but if I'm lucky, they might eventually make their way into the rag bag, in which case I imagine myself an old lady holding a tiny scrap of fabric as I'm about to wash a window and being pleasantly flooded with all of this. Perhaps all of these memories will blur - and Harper's bangs will find his way onto Calvin's skateboard or Adelaide's bicycle. I imagine these things get blurrier with time. But regardless of that, these times are good ones to remember. Blurry and all. And I will be grateful then, just as I am now, for all that is given - and received - with the gift of handmade.

on shearing day

There was excitement in the barnyard this weekend! With help and instruction from the very farmers who gave us Cinnamon and Emily, we had our first Shearing Day. Emily was sheared before she arrived here, being due to lamb, but Cinnamon has been ready for a trim. I think we've been just as eager to learn the process as she has been for a trim on these hot days we've been having.

With a family (and barnyard) audience, and an extra long 'teaching' shearing session, not only were Jim and Cheryl (of Gammon Farms) ever patient and helpful, but Miss Cinnamon herself was as patient as a sheep could be. I think the sweet somethings Adelaide was whispering must have had something to do with that. All went beautifully, smoothly....and her fleece was clean and dry and as lovely as can be.

More than just learning how to shear though, it was such a gift to have lifelong farmers and fellow keepers of Shetland sheep in the barnyard, captive as they were. Talking everything from worms to foot rot to the best local farmer from whom to get second-crop hay to registering breeds to our specific sheep - their personalities and lineage (it turns out Emily doesn't need anything with all that baaing she does, she's just mouthy like her Mama). Goodness, I think we consumed several books worth of sheep knowledge in that little shearing session. Not to mention, the feeling of comraderie and community. And we got faith and reassurance from those with more experience than we, that our little flock is healthy, happy and thriving. 

And now, wrapped loosely in a pretty vintage bed sheet, taking up a rather large corner of my studio, are two moorit fleeces from Cinnamon, ready for what comes next (once I figure out what comes next, that is). Back in the barnyard, once all the other sheep realized this newly shorn gal was in fact, the same playful, silly, friendly Cinnamon they knew and loved, all returned to normal.

SouleMama Sponsor ~ Silk Oak ~

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Today, I bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Silk Oak. In Jan's words:

 "Silk Oak offers original design cotton clothing, hand silkscreened in our studio in Ithaca, NY since 1977!"

SouleMama: What's new in your life and how does that affect your business?

Jan: This year marks the 35th Anniversary of me starting my first business! From the beginning, my businesses always focused on families with small children. It made sense since I had 2 small children at the time and it was an area that I not only had knowledge of but felt passionate about. Over the years, as my family continued to grow, I had a wider range of ages from little to teens. This June, the "Baby" of my 6 turned 21!! and, in a few weeks, my oldest will be 40! Wow, how did that happen?
Needless to say, after decades of small people to care for, lately, pickings have been pretty slim. Aside from the enjoyment I get from having little ones around, I find myself creatively inspired by their presence! It was my first 2 children that sparked my creativity and set me on a path that I never could have foreseen 35 years ago.
Which brings me to what's new this summer. My first Grandchild is due in 8 days (!) and Grandbaby #2 will follow 10 weeks later! I already find myself envisioning new things that I "need" to make for these new little people in my life, i.e.: Grandbaby #1's Momma only ate 2 vegetables when she was little- raw carrots and steamed artichokes! I already have a Carrot design. Don't you think this baby needs an Artichoke? Hmmm, stay tuned to see what's growing in the Silk Oak garden of designs!

For today's giveaway, Silk Oak is generously offering the following to TWO winners:

 ~ a $50 gift certificate to Silk Oak!   

In addition, Silk Oak is  is offering a 15% discount to Soule Mama readers off their total purchase. Just use the code "SOULEMAMA" at checkout. Offer expires 7/29/12.

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To enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person, please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 8am EST on Monday, and announce the winner(s), chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. The winners are...

thank you for these generous and beautiful offerings. grateful to and for you.
Posted by: melissa 

LOVE these designs!! Thank you! :)
Posted by: PlainJane

Thank you to Silk Oak!

SouleMama Sponsor ~ Mosey Handmade ~

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Today, I bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Mosey Handmade. In their words:

"mosey handmade is a Waldorf inspired children's shop. We create products to help parents and families make birthdays and other childhood moments magical.  We have a selection of Waldorf inspired wooden toys and playsilks, birthday crowns and party favors.

we blog over at little bits and bobbin, and we have  a little eco-friendly craft supply shop mosey's mercantile, and we also have a shop songs of flight of upcycled kids clothes and original hand knits (yes, we love to keep busy)!"

SouleMama: What inspires you?

Jes and Steph: We are definitely inspired by our own childhoods, both growing up with crafty mothers who were really wonderful homemakers. We also both teach, so the children inspire us to stay present with our art and craft. Steph and I are both daughters of German immigrant mothers and I have always felt that helped in drawing us to the Waldorf way of life. So many aspects of Waldorf Education draws on many German tradition, like baking bread by hand, special traditions surrounding holidays (Steph was recently taught by her Oma seven secret family recipes for german christmas  cookies) gnomes  and fairies. All of these things that we grew up with as part of our heritage has made Waldorf feel just like home. So cozy! Steph teaches art and I'm a Waldorf preschool teacher in our day jobs and it feels like mosey is an extension of that. Drawing on our own handmade childhoods, as well as gaining inspiration from the children we teach...I think we have a really lucky perspective!

SouleMama: What's your favorite part of your job? The most challenging?

Jes and Steph: Best part of the job is seeing photos from happy customers of their children loving what we have crafted. It's amazing to make something with your own hands and then send it out into the world. It's like sending little handmade valentines out into the world for a living!
The most challenging part must be keeping organized!

SouleMama: How do you keep yourself motivated?

Jes and Steph: I think Steph and I are really lucky to have each other on this one. We have been friends since high school and we know each other so well. When one of us is getting tired the other picks up the slack or enlivens the work, and that gives the tired a chance to get much needed rest! We are always bouncing ideas off each other and do a ton of brainstorming which helps keep our crafting fresh. Also ~ Tea, good music, and lots of coffee for Steph!

SouleMama: What's the product or offering you're most excited about right now? 

Jes and Steph: This year, our Waldorf style birthday crowns have become our most loved thing in the shop. We have had the best time matching wool felt with brocade and woven ribbon. We spent hours and hours mixing and matching and are so happy with the results. It is really something special to create a crown for a birthday, it's like the children's version of a wedding - so many memories in a persons life will be tied back to magical childhood memories like birthday parties, all the special detail that goes into them. It's really satisfying to be able to be a small part of that magic and memory. 

SouleMama: If you could spend a day with any crafter/artist, who would it be and why?

Jes and Steph: Hard question! I know Steph love Lewis Carroll's photography.  I'd probably have say spending a day in Beatrix Potter's garden! or spending time with Tasha Tudor...I'm so in love with her illustrations, her home, her gardens, her way of life! I'd also love to spend the day with my grandfather- working in his workshop and garden. He's gone now and I wish I could gather the wisdom he had about the land like tiny seeds and store them away to call on when i needed. At the time I knew him I was really too young to appreciate all the amazing work he did.

For today's giveaway, Mosey Handmade is generously offering the following to TWO winners:

 The *Birthday Party Pack*!
(The winners can select any of our themes. Each party pack includes~1 birthday wool felt  crown, 1 personalized wool felt bunting,and a pack of party favor award ribbons - all wrapped up in one of our handdyed silks.)

 

  

In addition, Mosey Handmade is offering a 15% discount to Soule Mama readers off their total purchase. Just use the code "SOULESUMMER2" at checkout. Offer expires 7/31/12.

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To enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person, please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 8am EST on Sunday, and announce the winner(s), chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments closed. The winners...

so cute. thanks!
Posted by: Parisa

Oh, we have a birthday girl here next month! Lovely giveaway!
Posted by: Ulrika

Thank you to Mosey Handmade! 

{this moment}

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{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

harvesting :: radishes

My second planting of radishes is coming up now and we're enjoying the crispy treats on and in everything. Of course, they live in salads, but they're also making their way into the oven to be roasted, and leaves saved to make pesto. This year, I planted just these French Breakfast Radishes, which have a little bit of a spicy kick to them that I love. And while all the roasting and pureeing of them is lovely, I really do think my favorite way to eat radishes is raw, fresh from the garden with a bit of whipped butter and sea salt.

It's a bit of a favorite before dinner snack at the moment, on these good and busy summer days when the evening hour catches me by surprise and making dinner far later than we're otherwise used to. It's a snack that's just enough to put a little something in their tummies while waiting for dinner without filling anyone up. And I'm convinced that the careful act of 'making' the snack - buttering the small radish and sprinkling a dash of salt - is just the very thing that the getting-sleepy summertime kids of mine need at that delicate hour in the day. That it slows them down enough to sit at (on) the kitchen table, chatting to Mama while I finish dinner? I think we all like that.

Do you have a favorite way to eat radishes? Do share!

spinning at my side

While we wait for the shearer to visit (soon!), I continue to spin through the lovely bits of roving that I began with and that have been gifted to me. All in the name of 'practice,' I am (obviously) loving every bit of it. The wool - the twist - it feels like magic happening in my hands, and the knowlege of the names of the sheep to whom much of this roving belonged to is a complete treat. I wonder when I'll ever feel like knitting again with yarn that doesn't have a sheep's name attached (but of course I will...).

To answer a few questions popping up in the comments yesterday:

I haven't dyed any of this fiber yet. Anything of color arrived that way to me. Though, on that note, yesterday, in lieu of weeding my vegetable garden, I did clear a spot in which to begin a dye garden next year. Oh yes. (Wild Color lives at my bedside table currently.)

I'm using a top-whorl drop spindle. I was shown bottom whorl as well, and have watched a few videos and given it some time, but the top whorl just feels better in my hands.

I haven't been 'setting the twist' yet. I've really just wanted to play with the yarn, and get a feel for the spinning (and of course, make a few quick little hats to assure myself that it is indeed yarn I'm making!).

I'm looking around for a drum carder, but haven't decided upon one yet. A spinning wheel on the other hand, I'm not ready for.  I have hopes and plans of sitting at a few and trying them out before I make the commitment to one. But truth be told, all of this drop spindle spinning is feeling just right for me right now. The portability, the simplicity, the way I can pick it up (and put it down) after just a few minutes when my attention is called elsewhere - that all works with my life and my days right now. And besides, there's this joy to be found so easily in sharing the drop spindle...

july wool

Miss Annabel has been enjoying all the roving wool at my side. It really is such a lovely plaything that feels so good in the hands - as it goes onto the spindle in mine, as it rolls like a ball across the floor in hers.

With that show of wooly enthusiasm from her, I decided she should be the next victim recipient of my early spinning work. The pattern is Quynn by Wooly Wormhead, with the addition of some braided ties at the side. She was patient enough to tolerate Mama's silly wool hat on her head in July....for a few moments anyway, just to be certain it fit.

The wooly love goes all the year round...

with thanks to the birds

The radio news filtered into my ears earlier than I like it to this morning. Violence, waste, heartbreak. Oh, of course these things must be told, must be heard, and I very much want to know - to feel, to share, to act upon it all.

But not right now, not just yet, I think. As the day is still new. For I know there must be something wonderful and beautiful right in front of me in plain sight to take in first.

So many things. Sleepy-eyed babies waking from soft dreams, the crack of the egg onto the side of the frying pan and the sizzle that follows, the rooster that crows eagerly as though it just can't wait for another day to begin. And the remembrance of that nest so blessedly made right outside the window so that we may watch a simple, everyday, little thing as it unfolds. Life.

Ah, yes. It is with thanks to the birds that I start this day.

SouleMama Sponsor ~ Playful Learning ~

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Today, I bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Playful Learning. In Mariah's words:

Playful Learning was created to empower children to reach their fullest potential. Our website and eCourses our full of hands-on, engaging, online learning experiences for parents and children. You can follow along on our blog and learn about our latest online classes at the Playful Learning Ecademy.

SouleMama: Tell us about the offering you're most excited about right now.

Mariah: I am really excited about the recent launch of the Playful Learning Ecademy! A little over a year ago, I introduced the Playful Learning Spaces eCourse and was really amazed by the online community that was created through the course. Mothers, teachers and caregivers from all over the world came together with the shared purpose of creating engaging spaces for the children in their lives. Together we shared information, worked on projects and offered each other feedback, support, and encouragement along the way. Then I launched the Through the Lens: Explorations in Photo Journaling eCourse, which is geared towards children (and their grown-ups). Again, it was a really special experience to have children from so many different countries, interacting, creating, and learning together in a safe and protected online environment. After those experiences I became deeply inspired by the potential of online learning  and started to envision the creation of eCourse that explore a variety of subjects, disciplines, and mediums. We are at the very beginning of our journey and look forward to rolling out many more online classes.

SouleMama: Tell us what you envision and dream for the future of your business. 

Mariah: The vision for the Playful Learning Ecademy is to create meaningful learning experiences for children all over the world. When I was teaching, the question I was asked most by parents was, "How can I support my child's education?" I believe that parents should have high quality options for both supplementing and enriching their child's education, regardless of where they live or go to school. I would love to work closely with a variety of teachers to create online classes for children that tap into their passions, fuel their curiosity, and nurture lifelong habits of heart and mind. 

SouleMama: Do you have a favorite inspirational quote? 

Mariah: Yes! I just shared one of my favorite quotes by Maria Montessori during the Playful Learning: Theory + Practice Webinar. Montessori believed strongly that education is the best means for social change and that children hold the key to a peaceful and prosperous future in their hands... “The child is endowed with unknown powers, which can guide us to a radiant future. If what we really want is a new world, then education must take as its aim the development of these hidden possibilities.” 

 

- Maria Montessori

 

For today's giveaway, Playful Learning is generously offering the following to THREE winners:

~ 

 a "Playful Learning Ecademy Sampler"
(which includes free spaces in each of their online learning experiences: Through the Lens: Explorations in Photo Journaling eCourse (Begins July 18), Playful Learning Spaces eCourse (Instant Access), and the Playful Learning: Theory + Practice Webinar (August 28))

In addition, Playful Learning is offering a 20% discount to Soule Mama readers off of any of their online classes. Just use the code "SOULEREADER" during the registration process. Offer expires 7/15.

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To enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person, please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 8am EST on Monday, and announce the winner(s), chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments closed! The winners are...

What an exciting prize!fingers crossed.
Posted by: the sprout and the bean

This sounds wonderful. Thank you for sharing!
Posted by: Marcela Naturally Fun Days

I would LOVE to win a slot in any of these classes...thanks for the great giveaway!
Posted by: Brittany at My (un)intentional Life 

Thank you to Playful Learning! 

SouleMama Sponsor ~ NaturoKits ~

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Today, I bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, NaturoKits. In their words:

At NaturoKits® we help you care for your loved ones with our popular natural first aid kits.  Our aim is to educate and empower you in your healthcare choices by making naturopathic medicine more accessible, understandable, convenient, and easy to use.

Follow along with NaturoKits by subscribing for their Monthly Newsletter.

SouleMama: Tell us about your background. What path led you to the work you do today?

Julie: I became smitten with naturopathic medicine years ago when I consulted a naturopathic clinic here in Portland, Oregon for help with itchy eczema.  The ND (naturopathic doctor) took me off of milk products (cheese, milk, ice cream, etc.) and gave me a couple of dietary supplements and my skin cleared up within weeks.  The only time it ever flared into the itchy rash after that was when I ate dairy.  I was overjoyed and knew that I had to pursue this amazing kind of medicine more in depth.  So a few years later I began my graduate studies at National College of Natural Medicine, a four year doctorate degree program that is every bit as rigorous as regular medical school.  I am now a licensed naturopathic physician in the state of Oregon. 

SouleMama: Tell us about the beginnings of your business. What inspired it? 

Julie: I founded NaturoKits along with a colleague (both of us naturopaths and moms) because we were both passionate about naturopathic medicine and we wanted to see more people using it.  In order to accomplish this, we needed to make it more accessible, more understandable, more convenient, and easier to use.  We created first aid NaturoKits because the remedies that we would use ourselves weren’t assembled and available for sale on the market anywhere.  We saw a need.

The education component is HUGE when it comes to naturopathic medicine. Lots of people don’t even know that such a system of medicine exists, what it is or how it works, and what it can offer them and their families. We take our oath to be doctors as teachers seriously. For NaturoKits’ mission see http://naturokits.com/mission.html. 

By developing NaturoKits we saw that we could help consumers make better personal health care choices by providing them with products to treat their symptoms in an effective, non-toxic, and environmentally friendly way.  We chose the remedies in our first aid kit based on safety (there are very minimal concerns for toxicity with all of our remedies), how many common situations each remedy could cover (the more the better), and ease of use. 

The bottom line is that we wanted everyone in North America (globally actually) to understand that naturopathic medicine is a valuable healthcare option for both acute and chronic conditions.  And then we wanted to provide a place for people to start…and that’s where our kits come in.

SouleMama: Do you have a favorite inspirational quote? 

Julie: Two come to mind:

“Once you understand it, you will love it!”  - Anonymous

“Health is a lifelong commitment to hard work.” – Andy Belanger

SouleMama: How do you come up with new ideas?

Julie: I start with thinking about what I would want as a mother.  Then I incorporate what I think is essential from a doctor’s perspective. And then I ask my customers what they are looking for. More often than not all three points of view share similarities.  These ideas converge into blueprints for new kits and ultimately their development.  Holistic-minded folks are similar in what they’re searching for and being of the same mind, I understand that. 

 

For today's giveaway, NaturoKits is generously offering the following to ONE winner:

~ Basic First Aid NaturoKit!

(Our Basic First Aid NaturoKit® is a comprehensive natural first aid kit for the most common minor injuries – bumps, bruises, burns, bites, stings, cuts, etc. This is the kit that we always have on hand for emergencies - the one that we throw into our beach bag, our backpack, and the glove box, and that we send off with our family members as they depart on adventures both near and far. It is a great basic first aid kit for everybody to have on hand, especially people who value having natural health choices.)

In addition, NaturoKits is offering SouleMama readers 10% off all orders placed by July 16, 2012. Use code DCSOULEMAMA at checkout. 

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To enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person, please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 9am EST on Sunday, and announce the winner(s), chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments closed! The winner is....

Wow this sounds great! ~ joey ~
Posted by: ~ joey ~ 

Thank you to NaturoKits!

 

{this moment}

. . . . . . . .

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

July 4

H a p p y  I n d e p e n d e n c e  D a y ! 

(I'll see you back here on Friday for {this moment}!)

Learning and Living at Koviashuvik

Last week, we had the pleasure of inaugurating the Family Sustainability Stay - a new offering from Chris and Ashirah Knapp at Koviashuvik Local Living School in Temple, Maine. A kind of living and learning retreat, the program offers families a hands-on and fully-immersed experience on the lovingly-tended piece of land they make their Home. You can read more about the program on their website. 

It's been several years now since we began gathering with other homeschooling families to learn from the folks at Koviashuvik. In that time, there have been countless foraging adventures, bows made, wigwams and debris shelters constructed, sap boiled, baskets woven, animals tracked, deerhides stretched, necklaces made, and on and on. Traditional folk arts, sustainability skills, and a connection to the Earth and each other nurtured all along the way. 

As our family (and theirs) has grown, and we've moved even closer to them, they've grown to be both mentors and friends to us on our own homesteading journey towards more sustainability. There is something so helpful and handy about the piles of books on our bookshelves giving us all sorts of informations on which "weeds" are edible and just how to check the beehives for mites or exactly how hummanure works. And then there is the beautiful sea of connection to be found virtually through blogs and forums of like-minded folk reaching out to each other and sharing tales and knowledge. But oh, there is nothing quite like working alongside someone in their (gorgeous!) garden, talking pests and plants and children and life. This kind of real, tangible, hands-on living and skill-sharing is the kind of learning that feels whole and full - and sinks into your bones and soul in a way that only doing can.

Before our arrival for the Family Sustainability Stay, we worked together with Chris and Ashirah to craft our days there in a way that worked best for all - some old favorites of our time together (bows and arrows for the boys!), and some new things we wanted to learn (my love is now a scything fool!). In between, we gathered and shared meals together, worked on little projects here and there, and got caught up on all the latest happenings at Koviashuvik since our last visit (oh, how I do love that icehouse!). We did this all with lots of time for quiet wandering and reflection, and in the flow of two families sharing our days together - with seven children between us. There was time and space made for all ages and abilities to participate, learn and explore...and that's exactly what we all did in a meaningful way. 

Chris and Ashirah's deep respect for the Earth, and their efforts in resourcefulness and self-sustainability is both admirable and inspiring. Arriving home from time spent with them, we are always eager to incorporate something new - large or small - into our own days and lives. For that, I am grateful to those teachers, friends and mentors who open their homes and hearts, and so willingly share their knowledge with our family and yours, wherever we may be on our own path - be it a forty-three year old scything for the first time, or a four year old thrilled to know and identify wood sorrel all on his own. These interactions, these skills, are the very things that quiet our minds, preserve our Earth's resources, and ultimately bring us all closer to each other. 

at Koviashuvik

Our family is home - invigorated and inspired - after spending some precious days with our friends, the Knapp family at Koviashuvik Local Living School. Often, while working in the woods with them, I leave the camera behind to use both of my eyes and all of my hands. But I've long wanted to properly document and share our time with them here with you in this space. It was a pleasure to do that on this trip and a pleasure to see this place through the lens, where everywhere I looked I found the beauty of the natural world, the touch of handmade, and the thoughtful details of people with deep respect for the Earth.

I have words to share about our time there, and some of the good things that Chris and Ashirah are doing at Koviashuvik, but I'll save that for tomorrow.

Today, through the lens....

Our 'home' for the stay. 

Gathering food from the root cellar and garden.

Starting a fire with the (large) bow drill.

Collecting ice from the icehouse.

Making bows on the shave horse.

Making a quick birch bark basket.

Sharpening knives.

Learning to scythe. 

Koviashuvik, the name of the School and place, is an Inuit word meaning "A time and place of joy in the present."

Yes.

More to come tomorrow...

weekending

Wishing you and yours a most lovely weekend day!