SouleMama

quiet

Well, excuse my silence here this week! It turns out there's been a little too much silence in my world, so much so that I hardly know what to do or say. Way back in February when I planned these few summer weeks - the first time all five of my kiddos have been otherwise occupied for most of the day - I had grand plans of productivity. I was eagerly anticipating work hours spent totally uninterrupted. I thought I might paint the floors upstairs. Or maybe I'd garden in silence for a day. Or build a greenhouse in a week! Sew a whole lot of things. Get ahead in my magazine work. I'd definitely at least give the house a deep, deep clean. The kitchen needs new paint.... Oh, the plans. 

The reality has been less impressive. I've spent more time aimlessly wandering than I care to admit. Not happily wandering, but wandering in a bit of a bewildered way. What should I do first? What task is possibly worthy enough of this rare and precious time? I've puttered, I've 'wasted' time, and I've never quite settled into a project of any kind - at least not until right before it's time to get in the car to go pick everyone up from their adventures. Nope, nothing amazing. Mostly, I suppose, I've been doing a lot of thinking about all of that. Because I think I've confirmed the thought I've had in the back of my mind for years - and that is that I actually am far more efficient and productive the busier we are. Or maybe that's not accurate, maybe it's just that after all these years of living and working and learning and playing together as a family, we've found some kind of a rhythm that works well for us all. That maybe I do my best work when that work fits into the pockets of time in our days - in and around everything else, with our full life always creeping in just a little bit. I really do like it that way.

So here we are, just four days into this short-lived rhythm and today I decided to cut myself some slack. I got this blog post up - even if it's 10:30 am. I'll get my Taproot work done. I'll prep a really yummy dinner. I'll let go of the idea of doing anything amazing. And I'll ditch the guilt that may appear when it's time to go pick everyone up and I haven't quite done what I thought I might. Instead, I'll trust that moving slowly and doing 'nothing' might just be the very thing I need to do most of all this week. That intention started this morning with a walk around the house. Not because the animals needed to be fed (Steve had done it hours before), or because the kids were leading me (instead they led me to their exciting days!), or because anything at all really required my attention. But just because...and just by myself. Quietly.

It's a good start.

off to camp

A rather dramatic and intense reading choice, don't you think? Especially for a girl who is SO excited to be away from home. Hmn. But one who also loves a bit of theatrics and really digs a good true story so yes, perhaps this IS a good summer camp reading choice. (We LOVE the Dear America series!)

And this is what is packed up and ready for tomorrow's mail, to my girl. I hope I'm making friends (and not making myself a hassle) with the counselors by sending all these temporary tattoos (Tattly is just too fun). Also, having so much fun with my Taproot Crafty Pack! It'll be coming in hand for the coming weeks of camp letters and packages I"ll be putting together.

We are here! All the days on the calendars have been crossed off (big kids) and the paper chains are complete (little kids). Real Summer! Last week we took a trip to the ER for stitches (Harper, poor buddy, but just a few and he's being a very good sport about it all), which certainly marked the beginning of summer season for the Soules (and apparently lots of others - the ER was full of broken bones and stitches! Oh, summer adventures!). But this week, everyone is scattered about in a million different directions (okay, four), to camps - overnights and day camp and all the way in between. I have some seriously, um, happy campers who have been waiting for this week for a very long while now. Or since February. Which seems like a whole other world ago.

I've done some stitching, in between my moments of time spent labeling five bottles of sunscreen and bug spray, and sorting out the most efficient way to pack as many lunches as I need to in the mornings (not something we're very used to, this homeschooling crowd. Nor the early mornings. Yawn!). At the last minute before Adelaide left town for a bit, she got a quick and easy skirt to wear - it's the Gathered Skirt for All Ages in Heather Ross' Mendocino mermaid fabric with some of Anna Maria Horner's feather fabric for the pockets. (Annabel and Harper got some new duds too, but they move too quickly for me to capture them. Or I move too slowly early in the day to catch them.) When I got Adelaide settled into her chosen bunk, we both looked down and saw her brother's name signed from a few years back. (Just like last year, though in another cabin and with her other brother's name.) It made me smile though, and I have to believe there's some good sibling energy there, kind of looking out for each other in an energetic way that I talk about (and they laugh about). It's all good. And so are summer adventures!! 

Lavender's Blue Homeschool {a soulemama sponsor}

​Golden Goose - Teaching the letters through fairy tales and drawing in First Grade

​Autumn Tree - Teaching nature studies through painting in First Grade

Greetings from Lavender's Blue Homeschool!  

At Lavender’s Blue Homeschool I work with families who are looking for a holistic homeschooling method - one that nurtures their child’s creativity, spirit, and intelligence. I offer Waldorf-inspired curriculum for Kindergarten through Second Grade as well as tons of free resources on the blog including circle times, stories, and guidance on rhythm, early years, and homeschooling. I specialize in user-friendly resources and guilt-free support!

​Form Drawing - Geometric shapes in Second Grade

SouleMama: Is there anything new you'd like to tell us about?

Kelly: This summer my goal is to help parents get cozy and comfortable with the artistic skills they need to teach with Waldorf methods at home. First graders draw, paint, knit, play recorder, model with beeswax, and more in the course of their lessons in language arts, math, and nature. For most parents, learning to teach this way means learning a lot of new things themselves, and it can feel really intimidating! But one step at a time, we can all grow as artists, and the richness it brings to our lessons is worth the effort.  

I’m one of those people who always thought “I’m not artistic.” I’m so glad I took the plunge into Waldorf-inspired homeschooling anyway. My kids could be sitting at the table reading dry textbooks and completing inane worksheets. Instead, we spend our days immersed in wonderful stories, creating our own beautiful lesson books, making things with our own hands, singing songs, and engaging with everything we learn through deep, artistic experience.

The Lavender’s Blue Curriculum provides a lot of support with drawings that parents can use to create their main lesson books and specific lessons in form drawing, painting, and modeling (with full-color pictures throughout). All the artistic lessons and examples are tailored to the development of the child in each grade and created by a real homeschool mom (that’s me!) so they’re user-friendly for real homeschool parents and children even if this is all new for you.  

This summer we’ll dive deeper into the arts on the Lavender’s Blue blog! I’ll show you how the arts fit into the Waldorf-inspired homeschool experience with a series on what to teach and when in handwork, form drawing, painting, crayon drawing, and music.  Then July 25-29 we’ll gather together for the Lavender’s Blue Homeschool Summer School….a week of video tutorials and community connection to learn new things and boost our confidence before we head into the school year. We’ll have a friendly facebook group and super helpful video instruction in form drawing, watercolor painting, knitting, recorder, and more. 

It’s all free and I hope you’ll join us!  Sign up for the free Lavender’s Blue community newsletter you don’t miss a thing.

​The Fox and the Crow - Teaching language arts through fables and drawing in Second Grade

This weekend, Lavender's Blue Homeschool is generously offering the following gift to THREE lucky SouleMama readers: 

A complete Waldorf-inspired homeschooling curriculum - your choice of Kindergarten, First Grade, or Second Grade (in digital format).  (Please note Second Grade will be delivered when it’s released on July 25th).

Lavender’s Blue Kindergarten, First Grade, and Second Grade are designed to help you thrive as a Waldorf-inpired homeschooler. They include detailed and thoughtfully crafted lessons with stories, integrated art lessons, full circle times (recorded on audio), and loving, guilt-free support!

Please let us know why you would like to homeschool with Lavender’s Blue in the comments below!

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To enter today's giveaway, leave a comment below (one entry per person, please). Comments will close by 9 am EST on Sunday. Winners will be chosen by Random Number Generator and announced in this post shortly after. Comments closed. The winners are...

We are homeschooling for the first time this year, and so would love to try Lavenders curriculum. Thanks for the chance!
Posted by: Kristen

Thanks for the chance....
Posted by: Eric

Wow that would be amazing. Have been wondering about this curriculum for a long time. WOuld love to win . My son is 5 and we will start homeschooling in the Fall.
Posted by: Kristy Tompkins

The Cycle of Life :: A Garden Tour with Jules Slootweg

Oh, you're going to love today's garden! Jules gardens with her family in British Columbia where they grow a lot of food, raise animals for fiber and evolve all of those things all the time. I particularly love (and am interested myself in) her journey to embrace and bring in more Biodynamic practices in the garden. And I'm grateful for a few new-to-us book recommendations as well. I hope you enjoy this tour as much as I have! 

Welcome to Jules' Garden! 

Gardener : Jules Slootweg
Garden Location and Zone: Kootenays, British Columbia...Zone 5
Garden Size: We have three different gardening areas as well as a greenhouse.  Altogether, there is probably an acre of cultivated food and flowers.
How long have you been gardening?  20 years

 

How would you describe your garden? 

In a word...evolving.  I don't think any garden is static, and certainly ours changes with the seasons, with the needs of our growing family, and with our preferences for certain foods or creative hobbies.   We began growing food in earnest when my first child was born nearly eleven years ago...beginning from scratch on our newly acquired, small acreage.  I dug the big garden by hand, a foot deep all around to eradicate tenacious bracken ferns and other weeds, which was tedious but very thorough.  While I spent several years clearing weeds and cultivating soil and my husband built bedframes from wood he milled in the mountains, I grew impatient to harvest our homegrown food.  Within a few days, I hastily started a small garden in front of our house.  It was meant to be temporary until the big garden was more established, but the kitchen garden has evolved into a flower and herb garden. When you arrive at our home, you walk through the kitchen garden on the way to the front door ~ I love being welcomed home this way. The last several years, I have tucked some special plants into empty spots for dyeing my wool, and over time, they are taking more and more space amongst the beds.  My 7 year old daughter likes to grow catnip for the kitties and various medicinal herbs to make into salves and creams.  Both my sons like to plant anything with themes...last year, my 5 year old had his own bed filled with Teddy Bear Sunflowers, Goblin's Egg gourds, Snapdragons, and Tiger Eyes beans.  All three of them also grow various crops for our local fall fair.

Where do you go for gardening inspiration? 

I have a few friends who are seasoned gardeners that are my main source of inspiration and advice.  I retain information so much better when I experience things firsthand and can see different plants close up rather than through pages or photos.  Strolling through a friend's garden and asking questions is my favourite way to learn...with the added bonus that I know I can also grow all the same things as we share a gardening zone.  I also am greatly influenced by Biodynamic practices and have planted according to moon phases for well over ten years.  My next step is to begin making the more complicated Biodynamic preparations...I'm just on the tip of all the possibilities available.

 

What are your favorite gardening books or resources? 

Ohhhh, well...while I prefer touring the gardens of friends, I also love to read so I seem to always have something garden-related on the go.  Mostly, I gravitate to books on Biodynamics, and I have found anything by Sepp Holzer to be helpful.  I find myself reading again and again Scott Chaskey's This Common Ground ~ Seasons on an Organic Farm which is a series of seasonal short stories. I've read The Garden That You Are by Katherine Gordon a half dozen times ~ but that is because it is written about several of my neighbours and friends, including one of my dearest gardening mentors!  A few kids books that have inspired me greatly are And The Good Brown Earth by Kathy Henderson (an absolute favourite) and Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney ~ there is such a wonderful and enduring message about helping make the world more beautiful. 

 

What’s your biggest gardening challenge? 

Avoiding the mosquitoes in July!!!  And lately, the long, dry summers that are becoming the norm around here.  A good watering system is essential in our valley, but it also requires a lot of upkeep as it is gravity-fed from the mountains and can get plugged regularly.

What’s your biggest garden accomplishment? 

Nurturing a love of gardening in my children and helping them understand how valuable it is to grow our own food.  In a practical sense, though, I think the biggest accomplishment ~ and most satisfying ~ is acquiring my flock of fibre sheep a few years ago. To garden on a bigger scale, animal manure is essential to the health of the soil, resulting in healthy vegetables.  Not only do my sheep (and goats, chickens, turkeys, and pigs) give us so much happiness in their presence and personalities as well as amazing fibre for spinning and knitting, but their poop feeds the soil, which grows good food, and any surplus finds its way back to the animal's troughs to start all over again.  Honestly, keeping animals on the farm has brought us full circle to the cycle of life and it has enlightened me as to how important these relationships are to growing food.

 

What do you most love to grow? 

My first thought is flowers, flowers, flowers!!!!  I just can't grow enough of them...and I see why someone once said that the earth laughs in flowers!  I also love tending my dye garden...indigo, madder, hollyhocks, zinnias, calendula,, chammomile, marigolds, onions, fennel, tickseed...on and on.  The colours that may be extracted from most plants is incredible!  I get a deep sense of fulfillment spinning and knitting our own wool that is dyed from our homegrown or wildcrafted plants.

(My daughter, Sunshine, wearing her homespun sweater made from wool dyed with chammomile, madder root, onion skins, Queen Anne's Lace flower heads and lobster mushrooms.)

If you have children, what role do they play in your gardening? 

Gardening, like everything else we do, is a family venture.  Each child has their own garden bed that they are responsible for. Every year, we look forward to the arrival of the seed catalogues and begin planning what will be grown in their beds.  All three have always enjoyed gardening, partly because it is such an integral part of our life...from late winter days of nurturing tender seedlings indoors to mid-summer weeding and watering, to autumn harvesting. It all becomes a part of our homeschool days...worms and composting, plant similarities and differences, making manure teas and sowing cover crops, learning local weather lore, and identifying medicinal herbs and knowing when to harvest them.

 
Can you share one or two of your favorite gardening tips?  

Learning the ancient ways of planting according to the phases of the moon and other cosmic influences has been a wonderful way to enhance plant growth (and deter pests, prolong storage, and more).  For example, it is ideal to transplant starts in the waning moon when the lunar energy is pulling forces back into the earth.  Also, picking fruit for storing ought to be done in the waxing phase of the moon as the lunar forces are pulling water and vitality upwards into the plant.  In this approach, there are certain days that will best harness the energy of particular plants (explained in Biodynamic calendars) ~ either root, leaf, flower, or fruit plants. I find it quite fascinating that it works so well and haven't gardened any other way for years. 

Can you tell us about yourself? 

I am a wife to a back country ski guide who, when he is not skiing deep powder in the mountains, makes durable garden beds and can fix any watering problem.  I homeschool our three kids on a small farm and find great happiness tending my flock of fibre sheep. I just launched an on-line fibre and yarn business, mostly made from our own homegrown wool. You can usually find me up to my elbows in soil or wool...both bring great satisfaction and a deep sense of peace to my Being! 

You can find new batches of Jules' farm fresh fibre at www.woolmaiden.com, on Facebook at woolmaiden and on Instagram at @woolmaiden.com.  You can also read more of her musings on her blog at www.alittlecraftynest.com.

. . . .

Thank you, Jules, for sharing your garden! 

(If you'd like to share your garden with us this season, send me an email for more details.)

 

. . . .

Thank you, Jules, for sharing your garden! 

(If you'd like to share your garden with us this season, send me an email for more details.)

late June, in the garden

Even if it were just for the peonies (the peonies!), late June into early July would be my favorite time of year in the garden.  But there's more than just the peonies....we're in that perfect window of garden time where most everything is in, the bugs have not made their appearance yet, the weeds are under control, and everything is beginning to feel lush and lovely and so very full. It's a dreamy time in the garden, for sure. 

And a dreamy time in the kitchen is beginning as some of the early things are coming inside for dinner. Garlic scapes, peas, radishes and all the greens. So many greens. 

A few things I'm taking note of at this point. First, we tried "bush" peas this year (Kelvedon Wonder Garden Peas) which are a dwarf variety projected to climb to just 18" and therefore not need trellising. I thought that sounded grand, but the reality (for our garden anyway) is that it feels like a plant that can't decide what it wants to do. Not quite close enough to the ground to stand up on its own, not tall enough to warrant trellising. Instead, a bit of a hassle to keep it standing up. Back to the climbing peas we go next year! 

I am putting in round three of carrot seeds today, as I just can't get them to germinate this year despite all the attention and frequent watering I'm giving them. Sigh. If only carrots weren't such an essential thing for us to grow, I would happily let those pesky seeds go. But I'll give it a little more love and effort and see what comes of the third time (a charm, right?). 

You'll notice a presence of some new mulch in the garden. By a miscommunication with our local nursery, I ended up with 15 yards of "playground mulch", ie untreated wood chips that are quite whole and large. Too big (they'll take ages to break down) for edibles, and meant really for walkways and, well, playgrounds. I didn't have plans for either of those things this year, but there all the mulch sits and I've been finding use for it here and there. It's acting mostly as an edging for some of my perennial beds in the garden. The entire garden has a perennial border garden whose edges require a foolish amount of maintenance to weed. Perhaps this will do the trick? We'll see. I certain have enough for some experimenting. 

Alright....carrots are going in today. And the potatoes need hilling. After a good rain yesterday, the sun is shining today. And there's no place I'd rather be than in this garden. 

Slow (but good) Knitting

According to Ravelry, which honestly might just be the most accurate measure of crafty time than anything else I know, I have cast on, knit and FINISHED no fewer than 17 knitting projects since I first cast on for this one, not including about a hundred (more or less) bulky knit cowls for the holidays (because they only sort of count). 

I don't know what to say about that. Except that sometimes that's just how it goes. It's no reflection on the pattern - I've loved knitting this sweater every inch of the way, and all that straight knitting for the body is perfect for all the many moments I knit with not my full attention on the needles. Nor is it a statement about the yarn - because next to my own yarn, Quince's Owl is one of my very favorites to knit with and definitely my favorite to wear (my Barn Sweater is also knit in owl, and I wear that for at least a few moments every day. Truly.). 

The pattern is the Portland Pullover by Carrie Hoge, and it first appeared in Taproot's Issue 16::SHELTER. I stopped the collar just an inch or so shorter than called for, by accident, really, but I think I like it this way. At least I did on Summer Solstice when I tried it out on a visit to the lake. It wasn't a chill exactly sweater-worthy, but a project that's been with you for a solid year certainly deserves to be worn just as soon as it's done blocking. Summer or no. 

I look forward to wearing this one a lot - I think it's going to get quite a lot of wear...in the fall.

peonies, strawberries and kittens, oh my!

I know, right? So much eye candy for all of the senses. I spent the better part of a day this weekend swimming in all of this goodness. With huge thanks to Broadturn Farm for loaning me just the perfect barnboards, awesome light, gorgeous flowers and wonderful produce. Oh, and the kittens too. Because why not? 

Friends, the Taproot Preserve Pop-Up Shop is open now! We love creating the holiday Pop-Up Shop but wanted to explore what it felt like to gather more seasonal items particularly around our latest issue theme, PRESERVE. We had so much fun putting this collection together! What I love most about these little shops we do is getting to know a bit about the makers behind each thing. Such rich and varied stories of how and why they do the things they do (you can read a bit about each of them in their product descriptions). I love it. And of course I love the beautiful and useful things they make too. 

You can find all of the above (minus the peonies, strawberries and kittens) now in our Taproot Pop-Up Shop! Enjoy!

Aurora Shoe Company {a soulemama sponsor}

Greetings from Aurora Shoe Company!  

The Aurora Shoe Company was founded on the idea that a good pair of shoes should be made well and fit comfortably. We use American made materials and create all of our shoes in house and by hand.  Assembled organically, using simple cuts of leather and minimal stitching, our shoes mold to their owners’ feet the way that only natural materials and careful design can.

We enjoy using our blog to feature the travels and adventures our shoes have been on. Close to home, or around the world, we love them all. We invite you to share a photo on our Instagram feed.  

SouleMama: What have you been focusing on lately? 

We've been focusing on fit and how we communicate about just what makes our shoes different in a sea of "leather" footwear.  Our shoes are made from the highest quality full grain leather, which is thick and a little stiff at the start.  We intentionally form our shoes minimally, knowing that they'll stretch to fit around their owners' feet within the first few days of wear.  Because of this, our shoes can be a bit intimidating to order online, or to try on for the first time.  Our solution?  Share what our customers have been saying for years (and what we all know to be true): with just a little bit of time and wear, our shoes form around their owners' feet and become the most comfortable shoes in the house.  We've been collecting customer testimonials since the beginning, but we've recently put an emphasis on sharing them, both online, and on our social media accounts, because word-of-mouth has always been our best advertising. 

Readers who would like to share their experiences with our shoes are welcome to email them to [email protected] or to share them directly on our social media accounts.  We love photos and it always helps to know who you are, where you live, and what size, style, and color your wear. 

"I am absolutely delighted. Top quality. They are going to last for years. At first, I thought they were going to be too small. But no. I followed the relaxation instruction that come with them. After wearing them for an hour, they adjusted to the shape of my foot. Now they are like wearing a glove and the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn".

Bruce R., Cornwall, UK

This weekend, Aurora Shoe Company is generously offering the following gift to ONE lucky SouleMama reader: 

One pair of shoes, any style, any color.

In addition, Aurora Shoe Company would like to offer SouleMama readers free shipping on all domestic orders received through 7/1/16. To receive the offer, please enter "Soule Mama" at checkout.

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To enter today's giveaway, leave a comment below (one entry per person, please). Comments will close by 9 am EST on Sunday. Winners will be chosen by Random Number Generator and announced in this post shortly after. Comments closed. The winner is...

Amazing! Thank you for the chance.
Posted by: Jennifer

kids (with kids)

Rosebud (left) and Iris (right)

We're getting nothing done around here. Nothing! Can you blame us? There's a strong and serious pull to the barn and no one can deny the allure of those baby goats (kids). The level of cute is so over the top, it's ridiculous!

Wishing you all a lovely weekend ahead! (You know where we'll be!)

Making the Vision a Reality :: A Garden Tour with Xan Holyoak

And now, from one side of the country last week to the other side of the world today! Let's visit South Australia, shall we? That's where we find Xan, her two children, and her amazing gardens full of plenty to harvest and nourish now, and such dreams and vision for the future. I especiallly love this line from Xan's website bio and have been thinking about it since I first read it: "We live from scratch as much as sanity allows at this stage and relish any opportunity to 'do it ourselves'." That so perfectly captures the sense I get from visiting Xan's garden, and it's an inspiring sense I know you'll enjoy too. 

Welcome to Xan's garden!

The Before shot (taken three years ago) of north garden, facing east.

The Right Now shot (taken June, winter 2016) of north garden, facing east.

Gardener: Xan Holyoak
Adelaide Hills, South Australia. Temperate-Mediterranean climate (at a guess, I'm going to say that it might equate to Zone 10 in the USA).
Garden Size: 1061m2 (a little over 1/4 acre)


How long have you been gardening?

It's hard to remember exactly how long, but I do know my love and commitment was fostered when my late-husband's parents gave us a collection of herb seedlings.  Those plants came as a housewarming gift when we first moved out together in 1998.  I recall transplanting those sweet little herbs into a sunny space out from the back door of our rented cottage, just beyond the kitchen.  Eighteen years seems like a long time and although I have always tended a garden to some degree since, I feel that I am only just getting started.

The Before shot (taken three years ago) of east garden, facing north.

 

The right Now shot (taken June, winter 2016) of east garden, facing north.

Why do you garden?

 

I garden because of how it makes me feel, pure and simple.  It clears my head, it slows me down and it makes me smile.  When I garden I am free to wander and wonder.  It connects me to the person I strive to be and leaves me in awe of Mother Nature.  I breathe more deeply and a level of calm penetrates through to my core.  It is a meditation for me and yet, it fuels my body and mind with a buzzing natural high all at once. 

 

"Where it's going." Permaculture design drawings of north and east gardens - design and drawings by Nadja Osterstock.

How would you describe your garden?

Haha, it is definitely a project!  About a year ago, just a few short months after my husband passed and I was faced with continuing to transform our garden, I employed the help of a Permaculture Designer.  I now have a solid base to work from and a plan for how to create the vision in my head, plus pretty pictures to boot!  Our 136-year-old stone villa was the original homestead for the farmland that is now our neighborhood.  An initial subdivision around the 1920's reduced the original farmland to small acreage and then a further division around the 1960's created the semi-rural blocks that it is today.

Along the driveway is what I have nicknamed our feature tree.  It is a Crab Apple and offers our first signs of spring each year.  It is so spectacular when in full bloom and a bit of a neighborhood talking point, hence my nickname!  In this same garden will be an evolving apothecary of medicinal herbs.

On the other side of our driveway is our north-facing vegetable garden.  This will be bordered on all sides by fencing plus perennials, climbers and a rosemary hedge.   This area is the most suitable for growing vegetables as it gains the maximum amount of sun throughout the day.

Across the pathway from here is a section soon to be planted out with natives, many of them edible.  This borders a play area for the kids and flows down to lawn and a garden bed that will become home to beautiful floral annuals and perennials - I have to fill those vases somehow!  Dotted all over will be clusters of herbs and other juicy bee forage. 

The back garden is for chickens, beehives, a mini-orchard and our water tanks.

You would have noticed how frequent my will be descriptions are.  That's the work-in-progress bit!  It's all about making the vision a reality and it truly is amazing how much has already been achieved in the three years we have been here.

 

 
Looking out our lounge room window... a perspective drawing of our east-facing ornamental garden (it's my vision of how it will become) - artwork by Nadja Osterstock.

What’s your biggest gardening challenge?

Oh the challenges, there are many but the rewards far outweigh them.  Rocky-clay soils, slaters (also known as woodlice, sow bugs and pill bugs)... I try to befriend them, really I do, but if anyone has any tips for discouraging those little critters from gnawing their way through my young seedling stems then I would love for you to please share.

South Australia is considered the driest state in the driest inhabited continent.  Our hilly location means we are within the range to enjoy the highest level of rainfall available, but water, or the lack of, is by far our biggest challenge!  We have just positioned two 10,000 liter (approximately 2642 gallons) water tanks and very soon they will be plumbed so we can begin to harvest our winter rain.  This will make a huge difference to our garden's survival rate over summer when our searing heatwaves can be relentless. 

What’s your biggest garden accomplishment?

Without a doubt, my biggest garden accomplishment would be completing the job my husband began before he passed away. It was the demolition and removal of an old damaged concrete rainwater tank.  Rest assured I did not do it alone.  No way, that thing was a beast! Through the amazing work and generosity of my friends and family, we got the job done and now you would never know it had even been there.

 

Oranges and lemons are ready for harvest.

What do you most love to grow?

 

One of my dreams is to be able to feed my family, as much as possible, from our own garden. I am always left with such awe every time I sow a seed and witness it's germination into a seedling and further growth into a fruit, vegetable or leafy green. To then be able to harvest that produce and use it to nourish myself and my family fills me with such joy, it really does. I know I am not alone in that. 

Furthermore, it completely blows my mind to see first hand the quantity of food that can be reproduced through the saving of one plant's seed. With that understanding running through each one of my senses, I simply cannot comprehend how there can be hunger in this world. Nature is incredible and She really does provide.

 

What do I most love to grow?  Anything that nourishes ones heart, body, mind and soul.

 

The first shoots of this year's garlic crop, planted from the best of last year's harvest.

 

What role role do your children play in the gardening?

 

I have two kids, both of whom are now in Primary School (Elementary).  They are always welcome to share in the gardening work whenever they feel inclined.  Their commitment wavers and varies depending on the day and the many outside influences, but certainly my youngest (who is nearly six) holds a greater passion for the work than his older sister.  We recently spent a Family Day away from school (that's my version of responsible adult-style 'hookey') and with most of it spent in the garden, my Son declared, "Mum, doing stuff like this with you is one of my all-time favorite things to do".  Yep, proud Mummy moment right there!

Banana passion fruit flowers are in full bloom.

 

Tell us more about you!

 

I live in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia with my two children.  I am a Mother, a Writer, a Maker, a Baker and a Creator.  A strong focus on natural parenting and living a conscious, sustainable life is woven throughout all I do.  Life is a wild and crazy adventure and I am a firm believer in using the challenges as opportunities for inner growth.  I love to experiment, read, research, seek wisdom and gather knowledge.  I am constantly learning and discovering through playing, doing and giving it a go.  My gardening is no exception!  I hope you have enjoyed this little tour and please feel free to find out more through my blog, The Conscious Caterpillar and Instagram @theconsciouscaterpillar.

 

. . . .

Thank you, Xan, for sharing your garden! 

(If you'd like to share your garden with us this season, send me an email for more details.)

 

. . . .

Thank you, Xan, for sharing your garden! 

(If you'd like to share your garden with us this season, send me an email for more details.)

happy endings

We have been so incredibly lucky with all of the births here on the farm. Three seasons of lambing and not only did we have live births for every single one of them, but we never even needed to step in to assist. Add to that the fact that we had a ridiculously high rate of females born (so much easier for our situation), and well, we've been counting our lucky stars about farm births for years. My well-stocked (if I may say so myself) emergency vet and birthing kit has never been touched, save for paper towels and iodine.

Yesterday Bluebell, our Nigerian Dwarf goat, went into labor and of course we crossed all fingers and toes that that streak would continue. The never-used birthing kit was at my side though, and a few goat books too. As well as a rather large audience - from the curious dog to the nosy sheep to an intruding chicken that really wanted to hang around...plus all the kids! But even with all of that energy, we kept the barn hushed and quiet and gave Mama so much space. Labor dragged on...and on and on...and eventually the game of tag in the pasture took most of my helpers away. And I sat, quietly, knitting and waiting in a corner of the barn - Bluebell on the other side of it, doing her work. I had hoped it would go as all others had before - naturally and without interference and that I'd be able to call the kids (the human variety) inside in time to witness the actual birth. 

It wasn't to be quite like that, though. And as I watched Bluebell push and push with increasing struggle and no progress at all, I realized what was happening - a breech birth. What came next was a flurry of activity and instinct, maybe? Or maybe it was the memory of all those You Tube videos I'd watched on goat birthing. I don't know. But as the children caught onto the fact that something was happening, the crowd was back and I needed them! The response from each of them, now that I look back on it, was so indicative of who they are, how we respond in a situation, you know? Ranging everywhere from the empath who feels the pain or struggle or stress of anyone in the room, and certainly felt this happening in a big way.....to the one ready to jump whenever I said jump (or rather, "flashlights!" "More paper towels!"). We had a sleepover guest too, a fellow farm girl, sweet thing - who, when my hands were, well, occupied inside of the goat - read aloud to me about breech positioning from the book. All to the background sound of a five year old narrating the entire experience, "Is that goat alive? Wait, how do baby goats get inside of Bluebell anyway?"

It was a bit of a scene, I tell you. And it only got more intense - and then quickly heartbreaking - when I got that kid out, and realized it wasn't alive. Ugh. So crushing...realizing that, and relaying the news and wondering what was going to happen next, worried a lot about Bluebell.  It wasn't long after that though, that the energy shifted and what appeared to be a 'normal' birth really began. Quickly and easily, this one came. And it was such a sharp contrast in health and vibrancy and even size to the first one, that I realized the stillborn had likely passed some time ago (such a blessing this was to me to know - I had been so worried I had done something wrong or not moved quickly enough in the breech). And right after that, another! One stillborn, two live births. Both girls!

The night dragged on a little bit longer than that, with a placenta that wasn't really coming out and a Mama who kept kicking her babies when they tried to nurse. But all of that got resolved and the three of them were happily tucked into bed together by later in the evening. I checked on them a few times in the night, and this morning, oh they're all happy and healthy and pretty much the most adorable things ever. Adelaide is sticking with her flower theme for the goats, and these two ladies are now called Rosebud and Iris (her friend Flora got naming rights of one, being the great birth assistant that she was). We will eventually milk the Mama Bluebell, but not yet. For now, we want the three of them to get to know one another, for the babies to grow strong and healthy and for nature to do its thing with their bonding and growth. Meanwhile, I think we're all catching our breath and once again counting our lucky stars that we were all here for the birth, and able to give Bluebell a hand. 

(This video is quite a bit blurry, I apologize - I hardly know how to use the video setting on my camera. But you just have to hear them because their newborn noises are too good not to share! Such joy!)

 

 

in the post

Chicks in the mail. It really is an amazing thing. They're packed up as just-hatched chicks and arrive here a day later, ready for the brooder (chick housing) and all the loving that is to come their way. Oh, those birds. They are handled and sung to and all of that. And yes...these are the birds that ultimately end up on our table, and everyone knows that. All the more reason to love them. We've found a good groove with approximately 70 chickens a year. That seems like a lot until I remember that one chicken isn't enough for a family of eight, and so it's always two that I roast. And then it lands somewhere under once a week, which is just about right for us. We've been keeping Freedom Rangers for a few years now and really like them. We keep them in two batches of 35, which makes housing and feeding them - and ultimately harvesting them - just a bit more manageable for our set up (the second batch arrives a month behind the first).

For now though, all that they need is warm light, good food and water, and plenty of space. I'd like to think they like all that singing and snuggling too. At least I know that we do.

love, love, and more love

I find myself speechless today, which isn't a new feeling after reading the news, as I do now each morning before beginning my work for the day. I know we all come to our own place about how to live in the present and in the physical place and community we are in, while also being aware and informed and maybe even involved and active in the larger world happening around us. I definitely feel that challenge  - particularly as we balance parenting these young beings coming of age with their tender hearts and caring spirits and deep hope for change. Goodness, the last thing I want to do here is open up any sort of trivial political debate in the comments or conversation to follow. But can I just state for the record my deep belief that we share far more in common than we do things that divides us? I really believe that. And I also tell my kids, and try to live with the belief that only more love is the answer. Most especially in cases where love feels the most far away feeling to find and hold onto. Love, love, love. Oversimplifying, perhaps yes, but I have been known to say a time or two that keeping it simple is good. I'm a proud oversimplifier in this case. So. Love, love and more love today - wishing it to you and yours and everyone around us. 

May you find peace and beauty in the day that lies ahead of you! I will try to do - and spread - the same.

Pipsticks {a soulemama sponsor}

 

Greetings from Pipsticks!  

Pipsticks is a subscription sticker club. It’s the world’s best kids subscription: stickers + mail! We have thousands of subscribers (of all ages) in over 50 countries with one thing in common: a love of stickers.

Our team searches high and low to find fun, high quality, original stickers to keep kids, crafters, and sticker lovers around the world inspired and happy. Each pack is fresh and new, with a variety of different types of stickers from all over the world: some like the ones many of us used to collect, trade, and obsess over as kids – sparkly, puffy, scratch n’ sniff – some that are new and totally original. 

As a mom of four kids, I am always thankful for instant entertainment (especially when it doesn’t rely on an iPad). I created Pipsticks in order to bring the joys of snail mail to my own kids and give them what they loved more than just about anything in the world: stickers. Surely you all know just how powerful these little things can be (kids will do ANYTHING for a sticker!), not to mention the pure delight they can bring. 

My kids have been around loads of stickers since I started Pipsticks. Nonetheless, they look forward to their stickers arriving in the mailbox each month (it’s a very short delivery, haha), and the fresh sticker stash inspires new ideas as soon as they rip into the envelope. Whether they’re creating stories around the stickers in the packs, writing to their cousins in Seattle, or stickerbombing whatever is in arms reach, they are instantly consumed as soon as the Pipsticks packs are opened.

The Kids Club sticker pack, is designed to be fun and interesting. It’s totally child-friendly – which gives you a minute to yourself (unless you too are a sticker lover in which case you should definitely subscribe to our Pro Club and trade with the kids!). And finally, we’re always posting ideas on how you can use your stickers like these picnic pocket printables, or these sticker crowns.

Be sure to sign up for our mailing list to receive professionally designed free printables like this sticker chart, and read interviews about other sticker lovers around the world.

Pipsticks can be found on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram. 

SouleMama: Since the last time you were featured on SouleMama, in what ways has your business grown or changed?

Since we were last on Soule Mama, we’ve grown our team, hiring Krista, an exceptionally creative, wonderfully dynamic woman. We have centralized all operations under one roof here in sunny California and spent much of the early year updating our systems to accommodate the growth of our sticker club. 

I’ve also developed ways to regularly connect with our subscribers through monthly surveys and interviews. It’s important to me that our creative club is able to thrive as a community and feel so lucky to get this important feedback from so many members on a regular basis. You wouldn’t believe the heartfelt, compelling stories I hear about people’s love of stickers and the ways they’ve brought happiness at times when other things were going wrong. 

We’ll be launching our subscriber prize draw next month. All subscribers will be automatically entered into a prize drawing on their second month and each month going forward. Prizes will range from craft projects and special books for the Kids Club to huge craft supply hauls and gift cards for the Pro Club. I’m really excited about this – it’s another way to inject some serious fun into each sticker pack and let the community draw together.

This weekend, Pipsticks is generously offering the following gift to ONE lucky SouleMama reader: 

An exclusive Studio Sticker Box, full of stickers and blank postcards to decorate. Worth over $50 the stickers included are favorites collected by the Pipsticks studio.

In addition, Pipsticks invites all SouleMama readers to use the code MAMAJUNE to receive 25% off your first month of any subscription through June 30th.

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To enter today's giveaway, leave a comment below (one entry per person, please). Comments will close by 9 am EST on Sunday. Winners will be chosen by Random Number Generator and announced in this post shortly after. Comments closed. The winner is...

My Grandchildren would love these. Thank you for the opportunity.
Posted by: ava

Finding Balance in the Rows :: A Garden Tour with Rachel Shepard

Well, from the coast of Maine last week and all the way to the other side of the country today, I am loving the garden tours that are pouring in. Every one of them gorgeous! Today I'm so pleased to bring you this garden tour from Rachel in Washington. I think Rachel speaks so well to the peace and sanctuary that the garden provides to so many of us living full and busy lives. And she has great and practical advice on making sure it stays that way - a peaceful, productive refuge. I'm sure you'll enjoy her words and photographs as much as I have. 

Welcome to Rachel's garden!

 

Rachel Shepard
Fall City, Washington 
Zone 8b

Garden Size:
1/4 of an acre

Why do you garden?

After being in an office all day I enter the garden to do a little weeding or planting and get instant decompression. Besides that, it’s the very best produce we can have for our family and it makes our meals meaningful. It’s also a simple way to spend time together.

How long have you been gardening?
15 years

How would you describe your garden?

Our mini homestead is situated on an exact half acre in Fall City, Washington, a small town near Seattle. We have a collection of heritage fruit trees, a flock of chickens, and four gardeners (two of the large and two of the small varieties). The edible garden is inspired by permaculture principles and designed to welcome children as foragers and helpers. Overall, I’d describe the garden as a little wild, down to earth, and eclectic. Definitely a hippie garden. Since we only have around 5 hours a week to work on the garden the focus is on a low-maintenance perennial border with an enclosed area for smaller, rotating beds. I tend to let volunteer plants do their thing, this means there are bonus flowers and herbs sprouting here and there. The look this creates is casual and fuss-free. The contrast of this aesthetic against structured borders and fencing is lovely. 

The garden is composed of two main areas. First, the annual vegetable garden is composed of a flexible system of semi-raised beds that rotate crops throughout the season. The annual garden is approximately 200 square feet and is enclosed by a reclaimed wood fence. The paths are lined with straw for ease of weeding and to keep small feet clean. It is ringed by cutting flowers for the kids to sell out on the road.

The second section of the edible garden has been deemed “berry boulevard,” as you can snack your way down the 120-foot bed. The bed is a long and narrow edible perennial border, beautiful across seasons and home to birds during the winter. Plantings include berries (raspberries and blueberries above, strawberries below), fruit trees for structure, and alliums, rhubarb, elderberry, angelica, and herbs of all kinds.

Both planting areas are edged with a hand-formed concrete curb to keep the lawn from creeping into the beds. This delineation and structure give the garden an organized feel, even as it matures into the late-summer frenzy of sunflowers and tomatoes.

Where do you go for gardening inspiration?

I’ve been loving Floret and other farm-to-market flower growers. Flowers are sort of taking over the garden right now since I can’t get enough of bringing them into the house. For vegetable gardening I also like watching small farms (Working Hands Farm is gorgeous!). I’m not working at that scale, but seeing those lush rows also makes me happy and inspired.

What are your favorite gardening books or resources?

I love the idea of the traditional kitchen gardens our grandmothers kept: useful herbs and the family’s favorite dinner additions right out the door. Those gardens tended to have an enclosure (traditionally a simple picket fence). 

Lately I have been reading books on hedgerow (recommend A Natural History of the Hedgrow) and permaculture (Restoration Agriculture). At first it might seem that those don’t apply to a kitchen garden, but the principles of long-term sustainability and a semi-handsoff approach is really appealing. I also have some old books on traditional medicinal and kitchen gardens that are inspiring. Larry Weaner also does amazing work –he blends natural principles with aesthetics.

 

What’s your biggest gardening challenge?

Overall, it’s time management. I always take on more than I can realistically manage. At one point the garden was three times as large as it is now and the amount of food that created was ridiculous. I could have fed the neighborhood and didn’t have time to preserve all of it. So much went to waste and it broke my heart. Scaling back has made it more enjoyable and manageable. 

In the garden, I have two mortal enemies: Slugs and Morning glory. It’s a constant battle that I don’t always win. For the slugs, I use a natural granulitic  and that works pretty well. In the Northwest it gets washed away pretty quickly and I can count on a certain amount of sacrificial seedlings. Eventually the heat helps keep the slugs down and I just hope the plants grow fast enough to not be as affected by them.

Morning glory is just a matter of persistence. As long as it doesn’t strangle the plants I just keep removing it by digging it out. When that doesn’t work, ripping it out eventually weakens the roots and it isn’t as aggressive. 

What’s your biggest garden accomplishment?

Feeding the family all summer! Every time I pass by produce at the store and buy nothing I feel a sense of pride and accomplishment.

What do you most love to grow?

Right now it’s flowers. They give back in such a luxurious way - the inside of the house feels like the outside and I get to enjoy the garden more fully. Herbs are also great since they can last into Fall and come back in the Spring, so there is a little freshness in the kitchen almost year round.

If you have children, what role do they play in your gardening?

When they were little (they are 7 and 10 now) it was hit or miss with the kids - sometimes they “helped” by weeding the seedlings and that was sort of hilarious and frustrating. Now, they browse the garden and eat, which is exactly what I’m hoping they will do. They love “assignments” from the garden which is to make a flower arrangement for the kitchen, or gather herbs for morning omelettes. 

The kids also like to plant: I will give them handfuls of easy seeds to plant wherever they want. Sunflowers, nasturtiums and cilantro a good candidates because they grow anywhere and are easy to spot so you don’t weed them out on accident.

Can you share one or two of your favorite gardening tips?

Less of a tip and more of a philosophy…I’ve learned that taking a long-term view of the garden is key to enjoyment. I used to have this sense of urgency to “get the starts in now or I’ll miss my planting window!” or “I need to grow that variety this year!”. Learning to taking notes for next year and relax has really helped me to watch the garden grow and just enjoy what I have at that moment.

More practically, I have moved away from paper seed packets. They always drove me nuts in that they get dirty, wet or just don’t close properly. I purchased some small, sealable bags, put my extra seeds in them then write the variety and year onto the bag. Now they are dry, organized and much easier to handle.

I used to battle weeds and feel defeated when they got the best of the garden. Over the past few seasons I have made a habit of letting a few key plants go to seed: borage, carrots, kale, cilantro, and parsley. I leave these volunteers throughout the season and they help to crowd out the undesirable volunteers (dandelions, grasses, and morning glory).

We also switched to laying straw in the paths to suppress weeds, which has been a huge time saver. And I’ve learned to grow just the right amount to keep the family fed for the summer. I don’t always have time to can and preserve, so this avoids having to compost the lovely veggies we can’t eat.

Can you tell us about yourself?

I work as a designer in Seattle, but live in the Snoqualmie Valley with my husband, two kids (Leif - 10, Io - 7) and 13 chickens. I love my work but find it so important to contrast my hectic, corporate work life with a small, simple, handmade household where we are focused on time together. My creative heart-project is PotionKit - handmade kid’s potion mixing kits. This started with a single kit for my daughter and has grown as a project where I can share my belief in providing kids beautiful, high quality (no plastic!) toys that are totally unique and memorable.

. . . .

Thank you, Rachel, for sharing your garden! 

(If you'd like to share your garden with us this season, send me an email for more details.)

summer shirts

Forgive the dappled, funny light. My fancy photo shoots go a little something like this:

Photo Shoot A. While dinner prep is in a ten minute interlude (frittata on broil), grab the camera and a cold beer, and run out to the woods behind the pigs where Steve is burning brush and has been cutting wood all day. "Can you take a quick picture? Camera settings are all set. Here's a beer. Thanks! Dinner in five!"

Photo Shoot B. While in the garden, where I've just taken pictures for a garden post and therefore have my camera in the garden shed, I look up to see child 2, 3, or 4 with my camera. "Mom, can I use your camera?" With slight irritation because we've been through this before, "Not that one. Use your brother's. And please put the strap on your neck while you walk that one back to where you found it." Later, I see they snapped photos all the way back to that spot, including one of me in the moment that I wished them on their merry way. I hope, at least, the strap was around their neck.

Yeah, that's how it goes. So styled and curated, eh? Not so much. Ah, that's our real life. (I love it.)

Also loving? This new top. I've done some printing and taping of patterns, and buying of fabric in recent weeks, all in hopes of a few new things to wear. I'm not looking for fancy or finicky or even super fitted, I'm looking for real. Real comfort, real ease in wear, and real practical in the making. As in, I need to start it one day and wear it in the garden the next and not feel as though it is too precious for (messy) living in. I think I found a winner in the Maya Top by Marilla Walker. It met all of my criteria, and though I might do an FBA (my first!) with the next one, I might also not. The next fabrics I have to try are more like a lawn and less like the lightweight denim I used the first time, which probably could have used that adjustment. I quite love the sleeves on this especially, and the way the facings work. It's a solid pattern and I'm eager to try it with other fabrics.

I also have Meg's (of Sew Liberated), Aida Top ready to go, and am excited to see how that turns out. And because I believe there are more hours in the day than there actually are, I also would like to attempt Sonya's (100 Acts of Sewing) Pants No. 1 because I have great hope that with the right fabric, they might somewhat mimic the pants I'm wearing in the photos above. Those are by Ace & Jig and are my go-to this time of year, such a comfortable and easy favorite (that perhaps I wear a little too frequently! Time to mix it up!). 

Have you made any of these patterns? Is there any summer sewing happening in your home? Do share!

Early June, In The Garden

From the "orchard" looking back at all the berries to the right, and the garden, to the left. I look forward to the day when I can take the quotes off that "orchard"! Soon! Oh, the patience a garden (and especially growing trees) teaches me!

The strawberries, in! (Thanks to your suggestions, I purchased from Nourse Farms in plenty of time for my 100 plants to get in the ground before it was too late.) In the back you can see the blueberries and raspberries and behind them...the pigs!

Entering the garden. The chickens were climbing through the makeshift garden gate that's been here for years but that I didn't really have time to replace with a new one. So I screwed on a pile of found birch branches and voila, no more chickens. Granted, some of the kids and Steve too chuckled at my garden gate installation, but I rather love it. 

You can see most of the garden from here...standing on top of the compost pile (which I tell everyone else not to do).

Though you can't really see this section, which is all the way in the back of the photo above. It's the new extension of the garden - potatoes, corn, and just-for-fun pumpkins. And a treehouse in progress! It's an area that was once run by sheep, then cleared by Papa, then extra cleared by pigs for a few years in a row. I think it's ready for growing things!

In her little corner of the garden, as happy as a five-year-old girl can be (which makes for a very happy, very productive gardening Mama, I might add).

Though she does step out from time to time, such as here to show me just how tall she thinks those tomato plants will grow. She might be right. I've gone back this year to my most preferred method of growing many tomato plants (um, 60 and counting?)...on a fence, tied up as needed with scrap jersey fabric ties. 

A photo captured by Adelaide of the lupines and a visiting bumblebee. I always underestimate how much work and time the border perennial beds take, as they go around the entire garden. But they're really becoming my favorite part. Totally worth the effort, especially as I plant more and more useful, medicinal and dye plants in there.

A recent addition to the garden art 'decor' - a weaving from scraps of our yarn and some sticks we found in the woods.

From the front corner. I've got half of the row cover on the squash plants. Last year was my first year using it on them and also the first year that I managed to end up with all the squash before the squash bugs at it all. It definitely delayed their damage by weeks if not months. Hooray for that!

From Annabel's house, looking up. It doesn't look like anything yet, but I am trying a sunflower house near her garden house - a circle of sunflowers planted with morning glories. I hope it works! 

Ah, it feels good to pause for a few moments with the camera in the garden. Because otherwise it's just too easy to feel overwhelmed by what there is to do and what hasn't been done yet. But for the most part, the garden is free of that kind of stress and it's lovely to pause and notice all that it is. Nearly everything is in now, and it's time to go back and start over with those that need help (the first round of carrots never germinated. I think this has happened to me before?), squeeze in the things I've forgotten (I always forget to leave room for the peppers), and whatever else we might decided just has to be. Though there is hardly a thing coming in the house for harvesting right now besides herbs, asparagus, and greens....it still might be one of my favorite times of year in the garden. Full of hope and potential, and still with so much energy to get the work done. 

Alright, that's enough stopping and noticing, now it's time to get back to it. 

Wishing you a wonderful day! 

 

 

 

 

Issue 18::PRESERVE

I will confess that in the deep, cold, darkness of winter I was a little uncertain about this purple when our designer first presented it. I wondered... Is it earthy enough? Isn't it too garish? Nope, nope, nope! It's perfect! And when advance copies arrived at my house on the very same day that the lilacs opened up, well, that's when I realized she was a genius, really (thank you, Caitlin!). Of course, that purple only serves as an accent to all the other goodness that's inside the pages. And there is so much goodness in this issue...

There are a few theme words that have been total dream words, so to speak, for our contributors. Words that are so fitting for our community that putting the issue together almost happens by itself, working with such rich and varied material. BREAD was one. SEED another. MEND for sure. And PRESERVE? Yes, indeed. Another pleasant breeze and I think it shows in the end and in all the goodness inside the pages - using foraged "weeds" to heal, cheesemaking for kids, arm knitting, woolworking, seed saving, oh and all the creative recipes too! Such good stuff. 

We've been having fun with extras too - like the tear-out double coloring sheets inside each issue now. And with this particular issue, crafty paper for you to tear out and use in all kinds of projects (see the magazine for some ideas and our website for more to come!). And in our shop with this issue, you can find a full PRESERVE Craft Pack we designed for all your crafty dreams (mason jar washi tape, yes please!). Oh, and for more shop fun, stay tuned for our next pop-up shop, coming June 20th full of Preserve-themed handmade goods (be sure to sign up for our mailing list to get notification of when that goes live). 

Thanks, as always, for your support of this magazine adventure we're on. It's a true testament to your support and encouragement that, five years in, we are going strong - adding more content with each issue, and staying free from the distraction of advertising. Thank you! Gathering and sharing stories and skills in these pages is an honor and a joy (and if you think you have a story to share with us, do check out our submissions page, where we've just announced our 2017 issue themes!). 

You can find Issue 18::PRESERVE in our shop now, at your favorite stockist, or in your mailbox if you're a subscriber! 

painted ladies

Quite a while ago, the kids received a gift from their grandparents of this butterfly kit and a voucher for ordering the caterpillars. We read the included book about butterflies many times and we had the netting around for a while as the kids captured what they found around and about, but it was only a few weeks ago that we finally ordered the live caterpillars. When they arrived (this is the company we used), they were immediately set upon a high shelf for watching. Over the course of a few weeks, we watched the transformation from caterpillar to butterfly (Painted Lady), and I must confess that it was far more engaging of a process than I anticipated it to be. Especially the younger three, but also the older crew I noticed, stopped each day to note the changes. The caterpillars are growing! They're in their chrysalis! And then the excitement as each one emerged as a butterfly. My hesitation, I must confess, was that we'd somehow mess up the project and accidentally forget to do something that was needed in the flurry of a busy season of our days. That was a silly concern though, as not only did the kids make sure we did everything we were supposed to do and just on time, but that there really is so little to do with this kit. Order the caterpillars, watch the caterpillars, insert chrysalis into the netting, watch chrysalis, feed them when they emerge, let them go. Easy peasy. 

Last week they were ready to be released and the weather was just perfect for doing so. to be the day to release them. So we set a blanket outside near the old perennial garden bed in front of the house and opened the butterfly net. Each one slowly made their way out of the net and onto our hands or shoulders for a few moments before heading into the garden and then up over the trees or over the house. It was a beautiful process, and so much fun for the kids as each one set off. The kids had named each of the nine butterflies (I had two kits) and were sure they could tell who was whom once in the air. "Oh, there goes Sweetie Love!" (I kid you not, one was named Sweetie Love!) "Good luck to you! Fly safe!" Annabel shouted after them.

Since then, of course she's sure she's seen Sweetie Love in particular, in the flowers or in the sky. It very well could be.

 

 

 

Sitka Arts & Science Festival {a soulemama sponsor}

Greetings from Sitka Arts & Science Festival!  

Sitka Arts & Science Festival is a retreat tucked in the mountains of southeast Alaska that explores place, creativity, and our relationship to the natural world. The Festival brings together artists, scientists, and community members to explore and create on our beautiful island. We offer week-long workshops with our faculty that includes papercut artist Nikki McClure, writer and blogger Molly Wizenberg, Tlingit weaver and designer Teri Rofkar, traditional fish skin sewer Audrey Armstrong, and more! S​​​​​​cholarships are available (email [email protected] for more information).  

Welcome to sponsorship on SouleMama! Please tell us about the beginnings of your business, and how you've come to be where you are now?  

When the Sheldon Jackson College shut its doors in 2007, the Sitka Fine Arts Camp and a number of other community organizations took on the project of saving the historic campus. With the help of hundreds of volunteers, Sitkans have brought it back to life and turned it into a beautiful community gathering space. Sitka Arts & Science Festival was created to explore the intersection of art and science, to give adults the opportunity to be immersed in a culture of creativity and inquiry, and to share what we love about this campus and community with people from "the lower 48." The two weeks include hands-on workshops, a wildlife cruise around Sitka Sound, concerts, guided hikes, and more. 

This weekend, Sitka Arts & Science Festival is generously offering the following gifts to ONE lucky SouleMama reader: 

A copy of the photography book Sitka: At Home in the Wild by Dan Evans, and a sampler of our favorite locally-made chocolate.  

In addition, Sitka Arts & Science Festival invites all SouleMama readers to use discount code SITKASOULE to get 20% off workshop registration through June 15th.

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To enter today's giveaway, leave a comment below (one entry per person, please). Comments will close by 9 am EST on Sunday. Winners will be chosen by Random Number Generator and announced in this post shortly after. Comments closed. The winner is...

How lovely! Thanks for the chance.
Posted by: Andrea

Postcards from Old Sturbridge Village, Massachusetts

While the hotel pool (or more specifically the whirlpool that lit up and changed colors) might have been the 'most awesome' thing from our getaway according to the kids, I'm certain that they all loved the blacksmith shop too. And the sawmill that we got to see in action. And most definitely the carding machines, and those adorable baby lambs too.  

We had a little adventure, the three little ones and I, to Old Sturbridge Village this week. I hadn't been since I was a child, and they've never been. An 1830's New England living history museum, they were able to really explore, touch, play, and talk to re-enactors in period dress. And in the short window of time where school's are wrapping up, but before summer vacationers are in full force, we nearly had the place to ourselves! It made for a lovely, mellow and somewhat quiet day exploring 19th century rural life. 

While I certainly was impressed with the blacksmith, I couldn't stop staring at the wallpaper! All those patterns! Just beautiful.

Cheers to summer adventures! 

Solace & Healing :: A Garden Tour with Lisa Estabrook

I'm so thrilled to kick off the 2016 Garden Tours today. While the submissions are coming in from all over the world, I'm happy to be starting close to home. Or rather...over the river and through the woods to the coast of Maine with artist and gardener, Lisa Estabrook. I hope you enjoy this glimpse into her colorful world as much as I have. 

Welcome to her garden!

(Blooming now, late May in Maine)

Gardener: Lisa Estabrook

Garden Location and Zone: Maine, Zone 5

Garden Size: About an acre

How long have you been gardening? Over 30 years

Amanda: Why do you garden? 

Lisa: It starts as a creative urge. A desire to create a beautiful outside space. But that only scratches the surface. Gardening is integral to my health and well-being. It feeds my soul. It is my therapy, my workout and the source of my inspiration as an artist.

Amanda: How would you describe your garden?

Lisa: My garden is a work in progress (just like me). We bought our home in 2010. The land originally was wooded with a typical suburban lawnscape around a fairly uninspiring 70's home. I could see potential though. Each year I create new beds, restore some aspect of the woodland and let bits go wild to see what surprises the land holds. It's always changing shape, evolving. There is sort of an overarching plan, or vision, but mostly I'm just winging it and just working intuitively with the land. I'm constantly rearranging and dividing and generally working with what I have or what people give me. There are many areas I consider to be blank canvases awaiting new arrives when our budget allows.

Amanda: Where do you go for gardening inspiration?

Lisa: I go to my own garden! 

Amanda: What are your favorite gardening books or resources? 

Lisa: I have collected many books over the years but my favorite resource is the FEDCO annual tree catalog that I read from cover to cover each year in the dead of winter. Dreaming and imagining, and then make a huge shopping list that I never actually send in…

Amanda: What’s your biggest gardening challenge? 

Lisa: Not having the money or the time or the energy to make all my garden dreams reality!! There will always be something to do, or some way to make it better, or something that is a challenge or something I’m not satisfied with. That’s the human condition though, (right?) and it’s something I’m working with on a daily basis with my gardening, my art, my family and my work. So I’m trying to focus on gratitude and realizing the abundance of all that I do have rather than focusing on all that I don’t. Really when I look back at the “gardens” when we moved in 6 years ago to what it looks like today, I realize how far I have come, both physically and personally. And that is what I try to focus on. 

(summer garden, in full glory)

Amanda: If you have children, what role do they play in your gardening?  

Lisa: I have three daughters. They mostly like to help me admire my work in the garden. :) Little do they know they are one of the main reasons why I garden. For now, they get to watch me find incredible peace and joy in my work and I hope it inspires them one day to join me...

(inspired by the garden)

Amanda: Can you tell us more about yourself?

Lisa: I am a mother, a graphic designer, an artist and an obsessive gardener. I have spent the last 30 years working in my various gardens, tending and talking to the flowers and plants that grow there. I love learning about the plants, not just from books or classes but also directly from my connection with them. While my life goes through many ups and downs, as its does for us all, it is in the garden that I find solace and healing. It is there that I learned to have a deep trust and confidence in my ability to be well and prosper. 

You can find Lisa's art and her new blog musings on www.mysoulflower.com, see her on Instagram at @my_soulflower, and follow along with her on Facebook at SoulflowerPlantSpiritArt.  

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Thank you, Lisa, for sharing your garden! 

(If you'd like to share your garden with us this season, send me an email for more details.)

 

Welcome, June!

Hello June!

I'm so pleased to welcome the following Sponsors for June!

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Lucy Mason - Whole Person Life Coaching

As a Whole Person Life Coach, Lucy works with women who are in the thick of life’s demands. They are coping with transitions such as divorce, parenthood or career change. They’re seeking the balance, personal authenticity and vibrance of a purpose driven life. They’re striving to build deep connection in their personal relationships, to truly see and know themselves and others. She knows that we each have times in our lives when we feel disconnected from what fulfills us, angry at the situations we find ourselves in or perpetually grasping for more satisfying relationships with those we care about.

As a coach, she believes that compassionate listening is the most powerful tool she has, creating space for her client’s knowledge, vision and strength to be reflected back to them so that they may use their own wisdom to move forward. Through coaching, her clients explore new perspectives and possibilities, building self-trust and confidence. They rework their definition of wellbeing, nourished by self-awareness and empowerment, giving light to their wholeness.

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Natures Sway

Natures Sway was conceived in 1993 from a Mama’s wish to give her baby the best start in life. With craft skills and fabric she designed a beautiful hanging baby bed. Created with love to comfortably nurture her newborn, the Natures Sway baby hammock was born. Now a successful New Zealand business, Natures Sway is dedicated to making quality natural products to welcome and support your baby, including baby carriers and toddler pillows.

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I'm so pleased to have them joining us this month as a Sponsor, along with our ongoing Sponsors in the sidebar. The support of these fellow small businesses helps me to carve out the time I love to dedicate to this space, and I'm honored they choose to spend their resources here. All of the sponsors I feature are carefully-selected and businesses that I am proud to support, and in most cases, am a customer of myself! I encourage you to check out their offerings in the coming weeks and months, visit their websites to learn about the inspirational businesses they all are. And if you think Sponsorship is something you might be interested in for your own ventures, please be in touch!