Goodbye Floppy Comb


Their favorite chicken, affectionately named "Floppy Comb" died this weekend. Sure, we have a whole selection of other hens, but this was their favorite.  They both have grown up loving this bird.  Farewell Floppy, you were so tolerant of all the love.


 
 
 










These days...

These days, I get "help" for everything.




I am bringing 5 gallon buckets (yes plural) filled with collards in everyday.  Trying to figure out how to use it up. Ideas?  This with some feta was a baked potato topping. Good stuff.
 Dairy. Yes.  Trying to use that up too.
And the butter!  Never before have I seen butter so yellow! Thanks for that green grass grazing, turning my butter yellow.

But today, we're using nothing up.  We went to the store and picked out an entire meal at the grocery store...a feast  for Memorial Day that will use nothing from homegrown. It's sort of funny that's a treat to us...store bought. Each and every meal still revolves around using up things we have (even produce from last year still!). I have requests from all...burgers and dogs, corn on the cob, grilled summer squash, potato salad and fruit salad.  Okay, the potato salad will have some green onions and chives from the garden, likely. Plus milk to drink...which will of course be what I handmilked.  And I might make a strawberry rhubarb crisp with our own rhubarb so it won't be completely store bought. So it's a blend of storebought and from our farm, I suppose.  It will be a treat, all these foods we haven't had in ages!

I'm 12 years into this "from scratch" journey.  It's humbling how far I've come....and I can promise you this. As I plant the garden and prepare for eating next winter, the work is only just beginning.  It's okay. I'm ready for it.

First dip

Right before the Memorial Day holiday weekend, we found ourselves alone on the beach at 10am for lowtide.  Just us.  And my crazy kids went in.  We're mighty lucky to live here.







Respite of home

 
Every now and then I catch the city boy who definitely didn't sign up for farm life enjoy some of the animals his farmer wife tends.  Sometimes even city folks can't resist the simple pleasures of the country life.  For that, I'm thankful.



It takes a village...

Truth:  When I first moved here, I was a newlywed living in a new state,working 50+ hours trying to get rid of school debt before we started a family (our personal goal).  When we got rid of all those college loans and I got pregnant, I sort of panicked. The old saying goes "It takes a village"...I had no village.  In March of 2010, I began actively searching for a village to be a part of, which has totally paid off.  I'm a part of some pretty remarkable villages now. In 2016, I'm still growing my village.

Thankful this homeschool co-op has become a big part of our life.  I cannot  put into words how awesome and amazing it is to be a part of such an awesome crew.  I think we had 56 people over to our little farm for a get together a couple of weeks ago.  It's a wonderful thing to see these fields full of life. Wonderful to see this village get along so famously.  Lucky kids...growing up a part of a group with a whole lot of love.

(Only the first pic is mine. The rest are from villagers.)









Breathe


This week is so busy for us. Almost all a good busy. I do not like for my littles to have such schedules daily, but it is what it is this week. Hoping we can carve out a little art time tomorrow...art really has such a way of calming and reorganizing us. 

Thrifted. And Love.



 All that love when I had the camera in hand as I was taking pictures of my latest treasures.  This book being one of them, for a quarter.

 A griddle (pancakes on the woodstove anyone?), silicone muffin pan (which I freeze butter in, then pop it out and put it in another container...perfect for baking, a farming book and ALL.THAT.FABRIC!  Yards of fabric.  $5.50. 

Her happy place

With tiny tiny animals, naturally. "Blackie" (the yellow one) and "Blue Ford (the black one) are doing well, especially Blue Ford's little feet that were so turned in she couldn't stand up day one is just scampering everywhere now.  Taping on those little  homemade pipe cleaner sandals really paid off! Although she'd really love a kitten, a couple of tiny chicks are excellent tiny animals to have according to Audra. Here's her happy place:







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