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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.
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Tuesdays - in the winter, in our family, for many years - is ski day. Papa and the older kids head up to the mountain where they join their friends, practice their turns and pizza wedges, barrel down the slope on boards and skis both, and sometimes send me pictures like the one above - which simultaneously scare the daylights out of me and make me laugh. Though they may go a few times before, five is the magic family age at which one joins the crowd full time, and oh, that first year is always an exciting one. They all come home exhausted and elated but none more than the latest recruit who is having the time of his life out there, and feeling so big and grown up as this winter ritual becomes his own too.
There's another side to ski day looks that quite different from the scene above, and that's my own winter Tuesday ritual. I visit a few times each season to watch from the base of the mountain, but for the most part, it's a very different day for me - at home, quietly, with just the little one(s). There was a time when it was just Adelaide while her big brothers went alone, and a time when it was just Harper, a few years of overlap, and now it is just Annabel and l. In a family of five little ones, it's a special treat to have time alone together like we do on this day. And most especially with this youngest one of ours, I'm even more mindful of just how special it is. How fleeting it is. How quickly the years will fly by and how soon it will be that she herself wakes up early with the crowd on a winter Tuesday, packs her lunch and heads out the door. The older kids talk about that day all the time now - that's part of the ritual, I think - coming home with tales from the mountain and getting the next little one excited to join them. But they also include me in that line of questioning around the dinner table, late every Tuesday night - When the youngest goes, Will Mama start downhill skiing? (No, thank you! I prefer level ground.) and the greatest mystery of all to them - What on earth would Mama do all day alone if we're gone? (Somehow, I shall manage a day of silence, as hard as it is to believe.)
But we're not there yet and I'm not in a hurry to get there. I've got nearly three winters (really, just three?) with my baby girl at home with me this day, and we are enjoying ourselves very much. She's got the added bonus, this one, of Gram in the house too. Gram and Mama doting upon her all day long? Stories and songs, books and dancing, snuggles and play....and a constant stream of nearly three year old dialogue running all day long with undivided attention and no interruptions. It's always been tempting, on these quieter days, to crank out housework, or squeeze in a bit of work, but I've realized that then I miss out on the goodness of this kind of a day - the connection and joy to be found in solo time like this. Our day, instead, moves slowly and quite pleasantly...at her very own two and a half year old pace all day. It is no wonder she so merrily ushers them all out the door in the morning, turning around to face us, hands on hips, and says with a smile on her face "what we gonna do?"
I love my Tuesdays with Annabel.
Does the online world - or more importantly, you - need another cracker recipe? Hmn? These things I worry about whenever I think about sharing some of our favorite recipes here. Which I think about often given that, you know, I feed a lot of people all of the time. Really, sometimes I think it's all I do (sound familiar, Mamas?). Which is okay, because I really do love it - feeding them. So I don't know the answer to that question I ask myself, but I do know that this one really is a favorite, and that this here space is an extension of my "kitchen" so to speak. And so I'll share today. Forgive me if this is too simple for your liking, or you don't eat gluten, or you are just all set with cracker recipes. I get that.
But here? We are decidely not 'all set' with crackers as a somewhat regular ocassional (totally a real concept) carb indulgenge and means by which we escort yummy cheeses and dips and other goodness into our mouths and bellies. Homemade crackers are where it's at - they're what the kids (most especially these two growing boys of mine, oh my) want to eat and what I don't want to buy. A 'box' of crackers from the store? Gone in two seconds flat around these parts. Pure silliness, I say. We can make those.
A longtime favorite is Heather's Rosemary Garlic Crackers, and we also love Parmesan Cream Crackers. But we like to mix it up a little too, so as not to get too tired of one or another. This one below we've tweaked to be just exactly the way we like our simple crackers to be. Not too soft, not too crispy, not an overwhelming flavor, but a basic blank slate upon which yummy cheeses and dips can be slathered, layered, and otherwise paired. Simple to make, simple to eat. "It's thick to beat and quick to bake - It's fine to eat and fun to make -" (Sorry, one can never resist the opportunity to quote a beloved family book, Seven Silly Eaters.)
Without further ado, our Simple Crackers....
(makes approximately 120 one-inch crackers, or in other words, fills my 2 liter jar perfectly.)
Ingredients.
3 cups all purpose flour (or half all purpose and half whole wheat, or spelt and whatever, or any combination you deem wonderful and best for you and yours)
2 tsp sea salt
3 TBSP heavy cream
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup warm water
For toppings: coarse salt, freshly ground black pepper, poppy seeds and sesame seeds
Instructions.
1. Place flour and salt in food processor, mixing together to blend. Add olive oil, heavy cream, and water. Mix together just long enough for it to begin forming into a ball.
2. Dump the dough out onto a lightly oiled surface to further shape into a ball (without too much handling). Divide into four balls. Cover with a towel and let it sit for twenty minutes (or so).
3. Preheat oven to 425. On the lightly oiled surface, roll out each ball of dough until it is quite thin - 1/4 - 1/8 inch thick.
4. Place the rolled out dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the surface of the dough with water. Sprinkle with the black pepper, salt and seeds of your choice. Prick here and there with a fork (to prevent it from bubbling up in the oven). Using a pastry cutter or pizza cutter, score the crackers. I make mine roughly 1".
5. Bake the crackers until they are golden and just beginning to brown along the edges, approximately 8-12 minutes. Rotate pan halfway through baking. Remove from oven and let cool on a cooling rack. They'll continue to crisp up a bit more.
6. Continue with remaining dough. After cooling, store in an airtight container.
Enjoy!
(If your house is anything like mine, these will be gone lickety split. Maybe two snack sessions. But really, they didn't long to make at all, now did they? And they were so enjoyed...)
I am having a great time with my sweater knitting right now, even those long-lingering on the needles. I've got my Antler crawling along with my handspun, and Lady Marple has been enjoying a leisurely stroll on the needles. Newly on the needles, but moving at a surprisingly rapid pace is a Brownstone for Steve. All of those knits are fine and good. BUT. It's time to put them away. To tuck them into hibernation for month.
Because February is coming, and we all know that February knitting (in wintry parts of the world, anyhow) is not meant for white, grey or black. Denny says so. Stephanie says so. My friend Jean says so. It's just Knitting Truth. There is plenty enough white outside our door, and grey is most definitely how it's easy to feel at just about this point in the winter. So...all color, all the time...in February.
I'm kicking things off with a bit of purple. For my boy, of course, a raglan sweater in Osprey. In worsted, for a little body, this one is going to fly, I think, so I've been eyeing what comes next. Making plans, printing patterns, and in general just being sure there's plenty of color to round the bend into March. I think I'm good.
Should I doubt this color strategy, I need only look at the happy legs of my little miss, sporting her new yellow (yellow!!) legwarmers to know that color rules in February (the pattern is when left foot met right foot legwarmers). Yes, yes...we're going to have no problem making (knitting) our own sunshine this month.
One of the greatest blessings that has come about as a result of blogging for me personally has been a wonderful community of talented, creative and generous friends and colleagues in the writing world - both online and in print. Within that, there are places to bounce ideas around and to seek out support and advice in all written things online, in books and magazines. But before that? At the very beginning stage of writing my first book, I remember wandering around a bookstore, talking to my librarian, and just trying to blindly stumble my way alone through that first proposal. How to write it? Who to send it to? It can be overwhelming...and if the similar questions that pop into my inbox - both here and through Taproot - on a regular basis are any indication, I wasn't alone in that feeling of being overwhelmed. You've got a great idea for a book, a magazine article, a new direction to take an art project....but don't know where or how to start getting it out there.
If that's currently a position you're in, I'm happy to tell you about a new course offering from writer (and my friend!) Christine Chitnis. Offered through Squam Art Workshops, it's a four-week course to help guide you to creating the 'perfect' professional pitch for your work. I first met Christine at Squam in 2007 when she interviewed me there. From there on, I've watched as her freelance writing career thrived (she's a frequent contributor to Taproot too!), and her book projects took off...all while juggling those two precious boys of hers. She's a whip-smart, organized, and vivacious spirit who no doubt will motivate and inspire all those along for this course ride. I can't wait to see what comes out of that.
Registration is now open for this course that begins in May. Find out more about Pitch Perfect on the website, and in the video below!
Today, we bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Stubby Pencil Studio. In Kate's words:
"Stubby Pencil Studio is a family operated, online shop offering a large selection of eco friendly gifts and creative products for kids, including art materials, school supplies, non-toxic toys, classic games, books, craft projects and more. We even have party supplies!
We recently added FREE coloring pages to print and color."
SouleMama: How are your children incorporated into your business?
Kate: My daughters have been involved in my business since 2006, when they were 2 years old, and I designed thank you notes for them to color. They are now 9, and although they love drawing, painting, sculpture and more, they still really enjoy coloring. Actually, most kids we meet like to color, so we decided to add free seasonal coloring sheets to our site. We are starting with Valentine coloring pages and there are 3 adorable designs to print and color. Next, we'll add Spring and Easter coloring pages and plan to have several coloring contests throughout the year. We hope everyone enjoys these when visiting our shop.
For today's giveaway, Stubby Pencil Studio is generously offering the following gift to ONE winner:
~ $100 Shopping Spree!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
In addition, Stubby Pencil Studio would like to offer Soulemama readers 20% off orders through 2/15/14. To receive this special discount, please enter "MAMASAVE20" at checkout.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .To enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person, please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 9:00 am EST on Sunday, and announce the winner, chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments closed! The winner is...
I think it makes such a difference to give children quality art supplies to work with.
Posted by: Greeblygreebly
Thank you, Stubby Pencil Studio!
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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.
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I had saved this day open for writing about Calvin. (Yes, yes...I "schedule" blog posts - I always have.) I have so much I want to say about him and who he is. About parenting this age - how much fun it is, how hard it is. About the changes - and the similarities - between those baby years and now. And so many questions and wondering too, about what comes next. Or I thought maybe I'd write about the symbolism in his finally outgrowing that felt birthday crown this year. Or...oh so many other things. But the closer it got to this day, the fewer words I've been able to find. And not to make it all about me (really, I don't mean to do that), but I just can't believe that I'm the Mom of a teenager. How can that be? This is the boy that brought me out of my own teen years and into motherhood. Practically, anyhow. And here he is - in it himself, and beautifully so. My words stop there. And because he's now a blog reader himself, I say to him directly and wholeheartedly...Happy Birthday, Calvin!
Hello, again! From the 2014 Maine winter. Where it's always snowing! And it's very, very cold!
What I really mean to say is - this is the latest and greatest of the needles! It's a honey cowl - I've made one before and wear it constantly. This one, though, is for a friend, a friend who I thought could use a little extra lovin', a little extra warmth this season. But before sending it off, I had to give it a go to make sure it worked at keeping out the cold. Of course it does. It's such a great knit, that Honey Cowl. This one is made with a skein of the amazing Swan's Island yarn that is just so delightful to touch (in the same colorway as Ani's sweater jacket). I used one skein, and cast on 160 stitches, putting it somewhere between the two sizes provided on the pattern, but just enough to wrap (tightly) twice if wanted. I like it that way, anyway.
(Why yes, adorable cats and pups are the perfect accessory, we think.)
I took one more lap round the Honey Cowl train this week, making another for Adelaide. Watching her head to the mountain for skiing, I asked where her cowl was. "I don't have on that fits, Mom." Well, my goodness gracious. I remedied that, you can be sure, by the time she got home later in the day. It's with a bit of Sundara - the same yarn I used to make my own Honey Cowl as well as Annabel's baby sweater. Oh, it really does always work out to buy a little extra yarn, doesn't it? (I like to tell myself this often.)
Well. With those two things off the needles I can rest assured that two ladies I love will be just a little bit warmer in what remains of this winter. It's a cold one, to be sure. Stay warm, all! May I suggest a little knitting?
(For those inquiring about the details of my silly hodge-podge farm fashion...the shawl pattern is this one, the hat this, and my dress from here.)
I have a favorite pair of mittens that I made thirteen years ago now. I know precisely how many years ago it was because I made them during a winter when I was doing lots and lots of neighborhood walking with another Mama with our babies* practically zipped up inside our jackets, in their slings. We would walk....and walk and walk, talking all the while as we both - new to the Mama gig - tried to sort out exactly what we were doing - in cloth diapers, in slings, in breastfeeding, in our days with a tiny person attached to us all day and all night long. That little baby boy of mine turns thirteen this week, and those mittens are still going strong, and still my favorite. For the life of me, and for all the searching online, I can't find the original pattern. But it doesn't matter anyway, because with my knitting so new at the time, and my complete lack of knowledge about gauge as it was (diving in seemed like the best way to start), I'm sure it was just dumb luck that they ended up as they did. I can't even remember if they were actually supposed to be felted, or if they just "ended up" that way. Hmn.
Anyway. (Forgive a sentimental Mama on the eve of her firstborn becoming a teen.) I love those mittens...and wanted another pair somewhat similar. With a trusty pattern at my side (Family Mittens by Carrie Hoge, from Taproot Issue 3::RETREAT!), I grabbed an unmarked skein of un dyed bulky yarn from my stash and got to to work. I decided to make them on the bigger side, in the hopes that I'd be able to felt them just a bit to be extra cozy. At the last minute, before felting, I decided to throw those mittens into the dye pot. Why not? White mittens are fun, but, my goodness, January and February are sometimes in need of a pop of color.
And a pop of color, I got! They're so yellow! Just two hot soaks in the wash later, they felted a wee bit - just enough to shrink down to the size I want, and hold the fibers close together nicely, keeping my fingers extra warm. So good. I'm so pleased.
(*Speaking of first time Mamas - anyone care to place a wager on Cinnamon there? I think she's looking a little round....oh, but I'm not certain! We had a chat, she and I, and I don't think she knows either. Hmn. Time will tell. Soon.)
Just as soon as I gave myself permission to 'experiment' with my fleeces last week, a weight (that I didn't know was there) lifted, the fog cleared, and excitement settled in. I set to spinning with no expectation or pressure of the result. And it wasn't long before my eyes found their way to the bookshelf, and then the dried tansy still hanging from the library beams from last summer. If it's all an experiment, then why not go for it? What's to lose? Calling upon the handy reference of Wild Color by Jenny Dean, I soaked the fibers - both Charlotte's fleece and some un-dyed, unlabeled mill-spun something or other - in a mordant of allum and cream of tarter overnight. And in the morning, I made a dye bath from the dried tansy. The yarn stayed in there for another day, and the result spent the weekend drying by the fire. It's a lovely shade of yellow that I'm so pleased with. I have no idea what I'll do with the yarn, exactly...but that's really not important for now. The importance was in the process, and that, to be sure, was just delightful.
I think I've stumbled my way onto just the perfect word for me to hold onto this year. Experiment. Yes, yes...I could do with a little bit of that. And tansy - a favorite (weed) of mine - is just the way to kick things off.
Today, we bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Woolen Moss Farm and Studio. In Kate's words:
"My Etsy shop is dedicated to quality handmade clothing made from all natural, low impact dyed, and organic materials. Every body is beautiful and unique and should move freely and with ease. My hope is that my clothing can help bring that to you."
SouleMama: What inspires you?
Kate: My best inspiration comes from leaving my studio for a while. Walking through the woods, tromping through the creek in my mucks, strolling up my country road. I've tried the fashion magazines and all they seem to do is show me what I do not want to wear. I think my fitted looks are so that briars cannot snag my sleeves and my loose looks are so my body can breath when I fill myself with exertion. My leggings help me leap from rock to rock, and my skirts allow me to wade deep into the water. I want to be able to move freely in my clothes. To walk in the woods and tromp through the creek, don't you?
SouleMama: What does 'being creative' mean to you?
Kate: Being creative is a state of mind that you can bring to everything you do. It's a desire to create something from nothing, or from anything at all. It's in the way you approach your day. The way you place your child's breakfast on their plate. The way you craft your interaction with a colleague or family member that day to elicit a smile. The way you wear those pants with that shirt. The way you write your name or the way you plant your garden. Creativity is something that sadly some people don't believe they have, but it is not just available to a select few. It's accessible to anyone in anything you do.
For today's giveaway, Woolen Moss Farm and Studio is generously offering the following gift to ONE winner:
~ Your choice of a custom made boat neck sweater or a knee length aline skirt out of my new organic knit wool, available in a variety of colors.The sweater has a loose fit bodice with a fitted bottom yoke for great comfort and a flattering look and the skirt is a basic essential for any wool lovers wardrobe. Enjoy the warmth and softness of this great new medium weight organic wool.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
In addition, Woolen Moss Farm and Studio would like to offer Soulemama readers 15% off orders through January 31, 2014. To receive this special discount, please enter "SOULE14" at checkout.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .To enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person, please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 8:30 am EST on Monday, and announce the winner, chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments closed! The winner is..
I am in love with these clothes!
Posted by: Janet Thomson
Thank you, Woolen Moss Farm and Studio!
Today, we bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Bamboletta Dolls. In Christina's words:
"We make handcrafted one of a kind dolls using all natural dolls and whole lotta love."
SouleMama: What word describes your business best?
Christina: Heart based.
SouleMama: What role does 'handmade' play in our society?
Christina: I think in a world of disconnect with our phones and how we interact with eachother I feel handmade will grow in importance and value. I feel like there is a swing back to a deep appreciation of craft both in the value of the actual goods and in the value of creating something by your own hand.
SouleMama: What does 'being creative' mean to you?
Christina: Being creative is having the feeling of timelessness. I don't think there is much better in life than the feeling of being in a creative zone. I also think that the term 'creative' has too many associations with traditional artistic endeavors - one can be creative in anything that instills that sense of connection to something beyond you. It can be something you grow or anything that really gets you all fired up.
SouleMama: What advice do you have for people wanting to be more creative?
Christina: To not get stuck on that word! Just find something you like and find out MORE about it or to DO something you like and do MORE of it! This is one of the awesome things about our world - you can find anything out about any subject and learn to do just about anything online. Dive in and get passionate. That's creative energy to me.
For today's giveaway, Bamboletta Dolls is generously offering the following gift to ONE winner:
~ One of our newest 'additions' to the Bamboletta family, our Baby Doll.These sweet dollies are about 14" long and are stuffed with wool. They come with a wee diaper, sleeper and swaddling blanket. These dolls are slightly weighted with rose quartz and amythst chips which are thought to be calming and grounding for a child.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
To enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person, please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 8:00 am EST on Sunday, and announce the winner, chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments closed! The winner is...
What a precious baby doll. We would love to bring it home!
Posted by: Monona9
Thank you, Bamboletta Dolls!
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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.
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Peach, I thought you might like to know, is doing very well. She's walking through this weird winter we're having just fine, perhaps a little perplexed by the twenty below days followed by fifty degree days. But maybe she isn't perplexed at all. She's rather un phased by it all from what we can tell. Steady, somewhat predictable, very sweet, a little feisty (especially when in heat), and playful. It's a pleasure having her here.
And the milk? Oh the milk! We did go down to once a day milking a while back, which was a welcome change. Both for the milking commitment as well as the milk production. Once a day milking, at this point in her lactation, means two and a half gallons of milk a day, and it turns out that's just right for us. Still enough to do all the things we want - experiment with all kinds of dairy recipes, and to share a little bit from time to time too. It's good to know that. But not so much that I'm overwhelmed and swimming - literally - in milk. 4 gallons a day? Too much for us. Closer to 2 gallons? Totally manageable. The washing of all those jars (for ease of pouring with smaller hands, we store the milk in 1/2 gallon glass jars), and the rinsing and drying of all that cheesecloth have found a comfortable place in the rhythm of our days. And we are oh so much enjoying all the dairy delights. I may have told you before, but I'm relying heavily upon a few favorite dairy books - Home Cheesemaking by Rikki Carroll, Home Dairy by Ashley English, Artisan Cheesemaking at Home by Mary Karlin. I have realized - though perhaps I could have predicted this - that fussy recipes don't really fit into our lives well. I've got a few hard cheeses waxed and storing until the time - months from now - when we can test them. But for the most part, those recipes are a little too finicky and demanding of all of my attention, which is a tricky thing to manage in the course of a day. Simpler things - clabbered milk (oh, the biscuits have never tasted so good!), cream cheese, yogurt, fromage blanc, simple farmer's cheese, cottage cheese, mozzarella - those kinds of things are in regular rotation. And I'm making and storing (in the freezer) as much butter as I possibly can. Oh, and how can I forget the hot cocoa and the occasional (ahem) ice cream?
We have a little bit more time with Peach her, but not long. Her real farmers are coming back soon. I think she's going to be happy to go home. And we've got to make way in our barn and in our days for those lambs that are right around the corner. For now, we love having her here, we're most definitely enjoying her milk, and we are thinking long and hard about how and if and when and why a family cow would/could/might/should fit into our lives. Honestly, we don't know the answer to that yet. But we do know - one hundred percent - that we are enjoying her being here now. And to that - I raise a steamy (second) mug of hot cocoa in cheers to Peach!
My daughter was working on a new project this weekend - some wet felting. Something she hasn't done before, but has been excited to try. With the older boys still in teenage sleepy morning land, the youngest two occupied with some ukuleles and guitars by the fire, I had a whole morning to dive into the project, one-on-one with her in my studio. My sweet darling girl (and fellow Virgo, ahem) was eager, excited, and then...oh so quickly frustrated. That she couldn't quite "get it" immediately. That her hands felt clumsy (her words). That the piece in front of her didn't match the piece she had envisioned in her head. She wanted to abandon the project, give up on it, and found all sorts of reasons why she should do just that. "Oh but honey, this is the very first time you've ever done this in your whole life! It's just a beginning!" I told her. I was full of empathy and Motherly words of gentleness and patience with her. There were tears and even a bit of anger that she walked through that morning as I held her hand, on the way to that first felted project of hers. The project she wanted so much to do. The project she, ultimately, was so proud of.
I'm not sure exactly when it clicked for me, but somewhere in my studio that morning, I found a parallel in my own creative life. Perhaps it was when she so well articulated the feeling of seeing something different in your head than what's in front of you. Perhaps it was in her tears, in the way that I know her, in the ways that we are so much alike. Perhaps it was when I reached over into my own big basket of our sheep's wool to hand her some roving. Yes, I think that's it. That's when it clicked...when I realized that I could use a little empathy of my own, a little bit of patience, a little bit more gentleness with my own process.
I had not spun in months. I told myself it was because the days were just too busy - and certainly that's true. I told myself that there was something 'up' with my wheel (also true, though just a tiny bit of a sit-down to oil it is all that I really needed to do). But....I do think there's a bit of frustration that had gotten in the way most of all. Frustrated that my hands felt clumsy. Frustrated that the yarn in front of me didn't look like the yarn I was picturing in my head, or the yarn I'm used to buying in a shop. Frustrated, that I didn't know the difference between a fine wool carder and a drum carder or English combs and viking ones. Frustrated, that this precious wool we sheared from our very own sheep wasn't being given it's proper due by the way in which I was spinning it. And on and on.
It was a most wonderful realization that morning in my studio. When I could turn the words I gave to her right back onto myself. This is the very first time you've ever done this in your whole life! It's just a beginning!
I told her about this, that I thought I was doing the very same thing with making yarn. "Well Mama, you just need to keep practicing" she told me, matter of fact, her own hands deep in her basket of roving. It really is as simple as that, isn't it?
Later that night, after tucking my little girl into bed with her felted project drying close beside her, I dusted off my wheel (literally). I gently oiled her (the wheel) with the recommended paraffin wax (so much easier than I had told myself it would be). I tried to refresh my memory on all the parts and pieces I needed and where my hands belonged. I picked up my new combs - the ones that I literally drew blood on myself each time I'd tried to use them prior. And I just started. I tried - as best I could - to talk to myself as I would to her. With gentleness, and kindness, and patience. It's just a beginning. Let's think of this as practice. Let's just enjoy the making of it. I gave myself permission to never even use this particular yarn - to think of it as practice only. And that, I think, worked. I've found a bit of a groove with my combs and it's been days now since I've injured myself with the sharp tips (progress!). I like them, for my Shetland fleece anyway, so much better than the carders. I'm getting more bits of vegetable matter out of the fleece for one. And I love that I can lay the fiber all in the same direction for combing. The spinning is coming along too - feeling freer now that my expectations of it are just 'practice' instead of something useable, something pleasant to knit with. My thoughts wander to that tansy still hanging from the library ceiling and maybe some dyeing experiments ahead. Playing.
There are four very plump and likely pregnant sheep out in the pasture. And if they happen to birth like their breed is known to do - frequently having twins - I may just have a pasture full of lambs on my hands very soon. We won't keep them all - though, likely the females all will stay. And I anticipate not just four fleeces sheared this fall, but a whole lot more than that. And maybe - just maybe - one of those lambs yet to be born will be the eighth or twelfth fleece I spin - the one that looks just like the yarn I have pictured in my head. Maybe. Until then, though...I'll keep spinning my way there. Gently, with patience, and yes...great joy in the process.
I must be making up for lost time. There was not a lot of sewing in my days this busy, busy fall, and there was very little handmade in the holiday gifting. A good deal of baking, yes. A tiny bit of knitting. But hardly any sewing, and I really missed that. I reminded myself often in the late fall months that it would come back around again, that soon enough there would be plenty of time at the machine if I wanted it. And here we are, in a nice and fairly mellow (as mellow as our days can be, that is) new year groove, and I just want to make things!
The latest quick-sew out of the studio (because I'm mostly an instant gratification kind of sewist) is this little dress for Annabel. I'm so in love with this fabric (oh, Anna Maria, how do you do it?), I think I need more. (Especially since her older sister has specifically requested a new Suzanne in it.) This little dress pattern is a sweet and simple one - Sweet Little Dress by Leila & Ben. Wanting her to wear it now, without layering, I lengthened the sleeves. It looks a bit more like jammies this way, I know...but I don't think she minds a bit. It's just right for all of her favorite things - feeding her babies and dancing to her brothers' music.
Some short-sleeved versions of this very dress will be coming up next, then a few little Suzanne's for her since she's outgrown her last (oh, sweet baby girl, slow down!). And Harper has a request put in for some new 'working pants'. I'm on it. As long as they keep requesting mama-mades, I will happily oblige. It's a pleasure.
Today, we bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Monaluna. In Jennifer's words:
"Monaluna is an independent organic fabric company operating out of a 100-year-old farmhouse in Walnut Creek, California. All of our fabrics are GOTS-certified organic, and we specialize in modern, graphic and whimsical prints. We now also carry sewing patterns and kits!
Visit our blog and find us on Facebook."
SouleMama: How long have you been in business?
Jennifer: 3 1/2 years last month!
SouleMama: How are children incorporated into your business?
Jennifer: Our daughter, Anabelle is 3 1/2 now, but she was only 3 weeks old when our first collection arrived, so she’s been an integral part since the beginning. I draw a lot of inspiration from her, and from imagining prints and outfits I’d like to create for her. We’re coming out with a knit collection next month that was imagined when she was in onesies, and it’s finally coming to fruition. She’s also our main model, and has been dressed up and photographed in every collection we’ve produced! This time around, though, we roped in all the neighborhood kids and my friend’s infant twins and had a fun photo shoot.
SouleMama: What's the product or offering that you are most excited about in your shop right now? Tell us about it.
Jennifer: I’m really excited about our two newest collections, Meadow and Urban Patch that arrived in the shop in November. Both collections are GOTS-certified, and the fabric washes up beautifully and is great to sew with. I’m also excited about our new Little Bee Babysuit pattern which pairs with our new knits to create adorable organic baby outfits.
For today's giveaway, Monaluna is generously offering the following gifts to TWO winners:
~ Winner #1: One Little Bee Babysuit pattern with 2 1/2 yards of organic cotton knit fabric~ Winner #2: One fat quarter bundle of our new Urban Patch collection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
In addition, Monaluna would like to offer Soulemama readers 10% off orders through January 31, 2014. To receive this special discount, please enter "SOULEMAMA14" at checkout.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .To enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person, please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 8:30 am EST on Monday, and announce the winners, chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments closed! The winners are...
wow. those fabrics are amazing. what a great give away. :)
Posted by: heathermama
I absolutely LOVE Monaluna fabric! Thanks so much for sharing!
Posted by: Jenni
Thank you, Monaluna!
Today, we bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Alena Hennessy. In Alena's words:
"I am an artist, author of several books, and facilitator of classes on creativity, wholeness, and living your life to the fullest capacity of joy. On my website, Alena Hennessy, I offer online course experiences on these topics and more.
I love to blog! You can find it here."
SouleMama: How long have you been in business?
Alena: I have been doing this full time since 2005, so nine years as a living thriving artist who wants to assist others in unleashing their creative potential and joy. Everyday I feel so grateful to be doing this work, it is such a gift.
SouleMama: What inspires you?
Alena: Love, wholeness, plant spirit medicine, animals, bright colors, patterns, honesty, authenticity, connection, travel, natural bodies of water, the deep woods...
SouleMama: Tell us about your customers.
Alena: They are amazing! My students blow me away everyday. They are full of grace, vulnerability, love, generosity, and courage. They are motivated to learn new things, to try something new. I really love all of them!
For today's giveaway, Alena Hennessy is generously offering the following gifts to TWO winners:
~ Winner #1: One very special coveted spot in my new online class 30 Days of Grace, this class is already halfway full and we are going to heal, transform, and create some magic come this March.~ Winner #2: One winner in my Year of Painting class, which just started. This is a full and spirited class where we will learn a new art lesson, to go with the Seasons, through out the year. Its bursting with creative flavor!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
In addition, Alena Hennessy would like to offer Soulemama readers 20% off anything off my site through January 31, 2014. To receive this special discount, please enter "alena20" at checkout.
To enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person, please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 8 am EST on Sunday, and announce the winners, chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments closed! The winners are...
Grace....oh my goodness, that sounds like just the tonic at the moment!
Posted by: Fiona
Either of these would be a real blessing. Thanks!
Posted by: Mitty
Thank you, Alena Hennessy!
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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.
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A visual to do list, if you will. A photographic intention for the day.
Make Art. (in the sunshine with my babies)
Nap. (a girl can dream, and I do)
Knit. (fireside, of course)
Yeah, yeah...there may be some chores in and around all that too. But these three things? They're at the top of the list. And when something's on the list? Well it simply must get done.
When I made Adelaide and Annabel their holiday dresses this month, I quite forgot how perfect that style of dress is for my Ada. She's a fan of loose flowy tops and leggings, and doesn't stray a whole lot from what she loves in that clothing department (hmn...I wonder where she gets that from - yoga pants and tunic lover that is her Mama?). On the third day (in a row) of wearing the dress, while I peeled it off her to great protestation, she sat by the washing machine waiting for it to be done. And I promised her I'd make her as many more as she wanted. It's been a few sizes since I last made her some of these, and quite a few years since the first. They suit her. And while they may have been designed as a summer sun dress, they work just perfectly fine with layers under and over, all year long. We like layers.
The pattern is Suzanne by Citronille. Yes, it's in French but it's such a basic construction with some great illustrations for instructions that it's an easy go. (I think, though I'm not certain, they are releasing some patterns in English now.) Though I lost the instructions somewhere along the way of making this pattern over and over and just have the pattern pieces now. Each time, I dig around the girls' closet until I find a finished one, which tells me the order of the construction. It works. I know this one. (Someday, those instructions will surface again, I'm sure of it.)
(The fabrics, I'm guessing you'll ask about, are Alexander Henry from the Mercer Park line, and the sweet honeycomb is Elk Grove by Birch Bark Fabrics in organic cotton. And the You Are My Sunshine decal that I didn't realized was featured so prominently in all these photos is by Shanna Murray.)
Layered or not, with book in hand or without, but most definitely always with cat or dog or chicken or goat in arms (you'd be surprised what this girl can hold), it feels so good to be in a favorite dress. I definitely get that. And I'm glad to keep making them for her.
{You're all so kind. Thanks for the warm words yesterday. Greta says thank you too!}
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This has been the snowiest and coldest winter I can remember, and we're only just beginning January! On Saturday morning, we went out to chores in minus seventeen degree weather (without the windchill). I returned inside to practically sit on top of the wood stove in hopes of warming up. With two layers of wool long johns, extra socks, hat and sweater to boot. It didn't work. And with the promise (threat?) of the thermometer reaching a grand zero at a high point in the day, I knew I needed another plan for staying warm. When knitting (a blanket, no less!) by the fire isn't enough to keep warm, there's only one other place to be, as far as I can tell. The kitchen. Next to a busy oven...all day long!
8 am, Leftover oatmeal muffins. A required oven temp of 400 degrees? Yes, please!
9 am, with a table full of my people eating muffins, wash every dish, jar (oh, the jars! from all that milk!), spoon and fork piled up by the kitchen sink. I so appreciate the warm water of washing dishes on cold, cold days.
10 am, mozzarella time (I like Rikki Carroll's recipes). Because holding one's hands in 185 degree water (with gloves, of course) and getting fresh yummy cheese at the end of it, is most definitely warming right down to the soul.
12 noon, I've got to find something to do with all that mozzarella, and 'something' that requires the oven to be super high? Yeah, pizza for lunch will do. There are no complaints.
3 pm, a little bit of rice pudding (I double this recipe) keeps us all happy and our bellies warm. (Anything that requires eight cups of milk is a win in my book, anyway.)
5 pm, a family favorite for dinner - pan to oven pork chops with rosemary and garlic, gravy, mashed potatoes, and beets. Oh so good.
6pm, call it a day in the kitchen as I move from the kitchen stove to the wood stove, with a hot toddy in my hand (I make mine with Bulleit Rye, lemon juice, honey, and water - sometimes black tea. Cider + Rye just shared a good toddy formula). With a side of Swan's Island merino, the warmth is all around...and within.
Snuggling into bed not much later - with flannel sheets and down comforters and hot water bottles at our feet - I am convinced it was a warm day, after all. It really was.
Friends, meet Greta! Greta the Great. Greta the pup we've fret over and deliberated about and read oh so much about and waited for so long for. Greta the Great Pyrenees who joined us on Solstice.
For some of you, I know that Greta's arrival might raise a lingering question about a goodbye never mentioned here - one I receive emails and comments about often, and assumptions and criticism about too. I've tried to answer those questions as they come up, but I haven't been able to write about it here - it has felt too tender and raw, and the story needing to be reserved for in person and close to the heart, and those who knew her and us and the entirety of the situation. But I don't want to make this hello without a goodbye, and so the short of a very long story is this: over five years ago now, we brought home a rescue pup. We loved her, we trained her, we did all the things we'd done with our dogs in the past ... and then reached out for help when those things didn't work in helping us all jive together safely, happily. For two years, as we moved from town to country, as our family grew, she was a part of our lives....and yet we were not, at all, a match for each other. And though I think we knew it immediately - for over two years of hoping and trying to make it work - we ultimately found a new home for her. Where she could be safe and happy, and our family could be as well. It was such a hard family decision, yet one we made together and unanimously, and ultimately grew and learned a great deal from. That was nearly three years ago (just before Annabel was born), and though we have missed her and doubted ourselves and beat ourselves up a fair deal, as is only natural, I presume...we are all still so certain that it was the right decision for all involved.
(Exhale.)
(Choosing Greta, in the fall.)
We have missed, in the years that have passed, having a dog in our lives, and in the lives of our littlest ones, who barely remember living with one at all. And as we added (little) goats to the mix, and prepared for all the lambs to come, each night we heard the coyotes and the coy dogs, or saw signs of fox....we worried, and knew we needed to do something more to protect them. Though a donkey was considered (only by Ezra) and a llama too (only by me), a livestock guard dog was really the right answer for us. We waited for the right situation, fretted a little more over the decision, bringing up old anxiety about dogs. And finally, this winter, all the stars aligned and our search for just the right Great Pyrenees pup ended when we picked Greta up from a friends farm, where she had been born earlier in the season - in a family full of children, in a farm full of livestock. It's not all that different from here, really, where she came from.
I had faith, knowing where she was coming from, knowing her breed, that she would be the right pup for the job in the pasture. But oh - I worried about the rest! I didn't even know I was holding my breath about it all, or just how much worry I had, until I exhaled so fully on the night of her very first day here. Because, from the moment she walked in the door, it feels as though she's always been here. She already fits right into us, and we into her. Though I have been more cautious than any of us, I have to say - it is going remarkably well. Spending equal amounts of her time with the livestock and with the family, dear Greta is so at home. She's a puffball, lovebug, sensitive, smart, and welcome blessing on our farm and in our lives.
Welcome, Greta. We're so glad you're here!
Today, we bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Oak Meadow. In their words:
"Oak Meadow crafts imaginative, experiential homeschooling curriculum for grades K-12, providing options to fit students' interests, talents, and style; the flexibility to create a self-paced, joyful education at home (or on the road!); and beautiful, affordable materials. Oak Meadow's curriculum can be used independently or through its fully accredited distance learning school.
Visit our blog, In the Meadow. We are also on Facebook and Pinterest!"
SouleMama: How long have you been in business?
Oak Meadow: Since 1975
SouleMama: In your mind, what is that one thing which makes your business different?
Oak Meadow: At Oak Meadow, we believe that children are sensitive and intelligent, learning can be enjoyable, and education should be integrated into life. We've offered a blended approach--progressive, experiential print-based curriculum combined with online collaboration--longer than others in our field.
SouleMama: How has your business changed over time?
Oak Meadow: Oak Meadow now enrolls 500 students in grades K to 12 from around the world and provides curriculum to thousands more each year. A for-profit business for nearly 40 years, Oak Meadow has applied for non-profit status as founder Lawrence Williams prepares for retirement and in an effort to better serve homeschooling families.
For today's giveaway, Oak Meadow is generously offering the following gifts to TWO winners:
~ Winner #1: $100 coupon to use in the Oak Meadow Bookstore~ Winner #2: $50 coupon to use in the Oak Meadow Bookstore
“Homeschooling gives us the chance to nurture the special gifts our children have and to share with them the joy of learning.”Lawrence Williams, Heart of Learning
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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 8 am EST on Monday, and announce the winners, chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments closed! The winners are...
Beginning a brand new homeschool journey. Thank you for a wonderful opportunity to win!
Posted by: Corey
I was just looking at the preschool curriculum last night! Thank you for the opportunity.
Posted by: Wendy
Thank you, Oak Meadow!
Today, we bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, The Nourished Home. In Laura's words:
"From Hectic to Harmonious: Cleanse Your Home ~ Connect With Your Family is a live e-course beginning January 13th to help you clear the clutter in home and life so you can let go of stress and experience more joy, ease, and connection with your family. This e-course is designed to help you create space, time, and renewed energy to connect to your core values, parent with calm confidence, and create a home where your whole family thrives.
I offer the From Hectic to Harmonious teachings as a live group coaching journey every New Year because I believe that there is such power in a community of like-minded Mamas supporting and uplifting each other with their intentions, hopes, and dreams for their families when we all feel a collective urge to simplify and connect to what matters most after the hustle of the busy holiday season. A large part of the journey with this program is to help you create more ease, joy, and connection around two parts of daily life that can’t be avoided: managing your household and feeding your kids. Rather than having these daily experiences be stressful and exhausting, they can become a meaningful, grounded part of your day that’s more streamlined and aligned with your core values and what you want to nurture in your kids long-term.
This e-course is for you if you feel called to simplify and make easy, doable changes that will not only make daily life easier but also profoundly connect you to who you really are as a Woman and Mother. I want you to enjoy a relaxed, joyful approach to parenting. We all, parents and children alike, need space and time to feel free to grow into our true and best selves so we can experience family life as the joyful, soul-stirring adventure it is. Going From Hectic to Harmonious is an opening and invitation to this path for your family this New Year.”
SouleMama: Tell us about your background. What path led you to the work you do today?
Laura: I have my Ph.D. in Human Development & Family Studies and I’ve been working and researching in this field for over a decade. My passion has always been to help connect parents to their potential, to their own passions, and possibilities in their lives so that they can experience greater joy, live with their whole hearts, and raise children who feel free to grow into their true and best selves.
The path that led me to the work I do today is not only couched in my professional experiences. I have two young daughters. Laila is almost seven and Flannery will be four in April. In all honesty, no amount of academic study could have prepared me for the wild, intense, challenging, heart opening, and soul-stirring adventure of becoming a mama. I don’t care how cliché it sounds. My girls are my greatest teachers and I moved from the academic world to coaching because I wanted to work directly with other moms and families, supporting them in the ups and downs of their own wild, beautiful, and soulful paths as women and parents.
I feel great humility and vulnerability with this work. I feel strongly that I’m walking hand in hand with every woman I support and we’re all doing the best we can to create the best lives possible for our families, which is no easy task. For me, community is what we all need to know we’re not alone on this path and we can indeed sustain the lives we desire for our families. I created From Hectic to Harmonious so that we can collectively let go of what isn’t serving us and take some simple yet profound steps towards a family life that’s filled with joy, soul-stirring adventure, FUN, and connection.
SouleMama: What does ‘being creative’ mean to you?
Laura: To me, being creative is all about slowing down, having quiet space, and allowing ourselves to receive the inspiration we need to be creative. I know that many of the readers in the Soule Mama community are incredibly creative people who make the world a more beautiful place through their art. I’m grateful for the inspiration I gain from all of you!
I also feel strongly that we’re all creative beings (even those of us who don’t think of ourselves as the creative type). Maybe your art is created through your journaling, cooking, photography, sewing, knitting, singing, baking, home design, storytelling, in how you create a life for your family… Personally, I feel most creative when I have the quiet space and time I need to allow words to come for my latest blog post, or music to come that must be sung (I’m a singer), or new content to come for my latest offering for The Nourished Home community. One of the deeper benefits of my From Hectic to Harmonious program is this: Creating more ease, simplicity, and connection in your daily life naturally opens up the space and time both adults and kids need for full expression, creativity, and wholehearted living. Being creative is all about having the simple spaciousness we need to know ourselves so that our brilliance can come to the surface.
For today's giveaway, The Nourished Home is generously offering the following gift to ONE winner:
~ Enrollment in From Hectic to Harmonious: Cleanse Your Home ~ Connect With Your Family (includes Lifetime Access to the course materials and participation in the annual New Year program so you can simplify and renew every year)!When you register for this 5-week E-Course, you'll receive weekly transformative audio teachings, gorgeous action sheets, an invitation into a private community forum with like-minded Mamas working on the same goals at the same time, 5 live group coaching calls with Laura, and inspirational, actionable e-mails from Laura over the 5-week journey.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
In addition, The Nourished Home would like to offer Soulemama readers $50 OFF From Hectic to Harmonious: Cleanse Your Home ~ Connect With Your Family if you register between now and next Saturday, January 11th at MIDNIGHT EST. To receive this special discount, please enter "SOULE50" at checkout.
To enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person, please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 8 am EST on Sunday, and announce the winner, chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments closed! The winner is...
Oh I really want to take this class!
Posted by: Bubiknits
Thank you, The Nourished Home!
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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.
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All my scrap balls of worsted weight yarn end up in this picnic basket that sits in a corner of my living room. There, this blanket is slowly - ever so slowly - growing and growing. It may not be the most beautiful thing I've ever knit, and goodness, the garter stitch is as simple as it gets. But I love it. I love that while I certainly can't remember all of the yarns and where they came from, I can remember a good majority. Baby sweaters for the boy almost taller than me now, things for each of the siblings that followed him, shawls I've made for myself, things that never got finished, and gifts I remember making for people. There's a flood of memories in here when I look for them - which I do - each time it's in my hands.
Nearly five years ago (so says the blog), I cast on for this blanket. I have no idea how when it will be done. It's at a 'throw' size right now, and I'm not ready to be done knitting it. So I suppose the next marker will be a twin size blanket. And I have no idea how I'll finish it - line the back with fabric? pick up stitches along the edge for a crochet finish? I'll think about that when the time comes - later. Likely, that's still years away. I'm not in a hurry to get there.
It doesn't see a lot of play time, really, this blanket. When I'm in between a project or having a hard time getting started on something new, but need to do a little knitting, I pick this up. When I'm in that corner of the living room and just can't get up to find my current knitting project - when there's a sleeping baby on my lap, or I'm just feeling too cozy to move.
There's one other time this blanket sees action. And that's on days like the ones we're having this week. When the temperatures outside are below zero, and that mighty wood stove of ours struggles to keep the rambly farmhouse warmish. When layers of wool long johns and socks and cowls are worn inside to stay warm enough. When all I want to do is sit in this rocking chair right next to the wood stove, sipping tea all day, with babies big and small reading and playing games at my feet (and on my back and in my lap)....and knit with the project that doubles as a wool blanket. Yes.
It'll be twelve below by nightfall. I'll be blanket knitting.
Well! I had every intention of coming by here yesterday to say hello, to share some of our New Year's Eve party preparations, and to wish you all well. But all the ice and snow around here meant a bit of power trouble, followed by an internet outage, then frozen pipes, and by the time that was all restored I was deep in the throes of worrying that there wouldn't be enough food, and therefore making just one more dish to serve. I always worry that there won't be enough food at my parties. (And it's always laughable when it's over.) I do like getting ready for a party - tidying, fussing, baking and making. I think I had intended to say something about that yesterday to you.
But now here we are on the other side of that, with both feet firmly planted in this day, this new year. We have late sleepers in the house this morning - midnight celebrators that my kids were. I'm just back in from milking Peach with Steve. The steam coming off that bucket of milk is such a beautiful thing, the sight of it feels like a reward for getting out there and breathing in that fresh, crisp, cold, cold air. The sun is shining brightly, after-party cleanup has begun, and it feels fittingly like a new day, a a new year.
Somewhere in between the preparation and the cleanup - though I have no photographic evidence of it (I never do!) - was a party. A house full of some of our very favorite people - their kids, their wonderful music, their good food and their bright spirits. I can tell you that this Winter Punch is delightful, and this Galette was a hit. And yes, I am laughing as I knew I would, at all the food that appeared and all that remains, despite the fact that I'm certain all we did was eat, eat, eat. Oh...and laugh and visit and make merry, sharing the stories of our lives and our days. I thought of you too - and this space - with so much gratitude. For your presence here and the way that we all share our lives and our days together in the ways we do. I am humbled, honored and eager to keep doing that as another year rolls around. It's going to be a good one, this year. I hope and believe that for us all.
Cheers!
Hello, January!
Welcome (and Welcome back!), to the newest Sponsors here at SouleMama. I'm so pleased to introduce them to you this morning...
a self-paced, four week, online retreat - a place to celebrate the pause that wintertime brings. A place to linger through the dark and quiet, to welcome stillness, and allow time to enjoy home and hearth.
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Check out all of their handmade, natural, and creative offerings - and those of our other Sponsors - in the days and weeks to come. I thank them and you both for your presence and support here. And if Sponsorship is something you're interested in for your own business, do be in touch.
Greetings! I'm Amanda Blake Soule - mother of five, author of four books on family creativity, editor & owner of Taproot Magazine. I live with my family in an old farmhouse in Western Maine where we raise animals, grow vegetables and make lots of things. I write about it all here on the blog. Thank you for visiting!
