pictures from our daily life

apples ready to go into the dehydrator for apple chips

sena, doing homework. it's been so nice out lately that being indoors doesn't feel right. so we homeschool outside. the cats like to join in.

one day after history lessons, sena and aiyana make this sign out of bark they got off some fallen logs.

aiyana eating breakfast before going to the soup kitchen. she volunteers once a week with a couple of our friends who bring her. she grates carrots, makes salads and serves food. she initiated this herself, and seems to like going. sena used to go a few years ago, but she stopped after about one year.

 morning dew

aiyana in the field. the patch behind her has recently been harvested (used to be lettuces) and reseeded to a covercrop. covercrops are the only thing we plant at this time of the year. they protect and feed the soil during the cold months.

i read somewhere that the earth/soil knows when it is being loved. i think it's true.
peace

Autumn Equinox

clearly, autumn is here in all her beauty and abundance. the mornings are crisp, and sometimes frosty. the sky is clear and the sun strong at mid-day. darkness comes earlier with each passing day, and with it colder nights.

for the past few weeks i have been busy harvesting and putting away food for the winter: potatoes are stored in the root cellar; apples are made into apple sauce and apple chips; autumn olives growing wild are made into jam. winter squashes, turnips, sweet potatoes, cabbages, carrots and beets are still laying in the field but will soon be harvested and stored away. it's such an abundant time, so many reasons to be grateful. the abundance is not only the fruits and vegetables that will sustain us physically during winter, but in the beauty that is here before our eyes right now, that sustains the spirit, as trees turn flaming colors and nature begins its transitions towards winter rest, and we are reminded to do the same.

i am grateful and elated for being here, for the opportunity to witness another autumn, another turn of the cycle. how many more times will i have the chance to be a part of this? i don't know, and i don't want to waste one moment.

be awake and enjoy this beautiful time.

difficult corn season

corn has been tricky this year due to the heavy rains and low temps at the beginning of the season. we lost our first two plantings, and our third only took off late in july. but we harvested some last week, and hopefully more will come. sena and aiyana are very excited.

Little Mind, Big Mind

One is mine, the other one also.

One is tangled in worries, fears, ambitions, pride, excitement.

Sometimes it is happy.

The other is free, expansive, contemplative, accepting,

At peace with all that is. Always.

I’ve walked with them for years,

And only recently acknowledged how they rule my life.

When Little Mind causes agitation,

Or too much excitement,

I call on Big Mind.

Sometimes, that brings calm.

When Big Mind sweeps me away, too far,

I call on Little Mind to help me clean the kitchen.

I am grateful for Little Mind,

With its sharp, narrow focus,

Ruler of Daily Activity.

Without it how can I be a mother, farmer, a person that lives among others?

How can I get anything done?

I am grateful for Big Mind, my Teacher,

Knower of Mountains and Valleys,

Thunder and Rain,

Tiny creatures,

The holiness of the Earth,

Seer of infinite things.

It brings me glimpses of Joy and Beauty,

And soothes like nothing else can.

Little Mind, Big Mind,

Being human, walking both.

two of a kind (makes me think of a happy "American Gothic")

my morning coffee ritual just got better as a friend gave me this antique manual grinder. it works well, and it fits in the kitchen better than the electric one i used before.

Sunday

today, ed and aiyana went to the flea market with one of our friends to look for farm equipment.
sena and i stayed home. we made a really nice lunch for ourselves: sena ground some wheat and baked chapatis. i made baba ghanouj with our eggplants; we also had fresh mozarella, basil, tomatoes, and red onions. very satisfying.

the deer were not dissuaded by the lures ed placed on the electric fence last night. they came in anyway and ate more carrots. ed ended up shooting one. we had a friend come over and pick it up - his family wanted the meat. it's always a difficult experience for all of us when the deer get in...

deer damage

looks like we're getting deer damage again. they're eating the carrot tops and apples. ed's going to try baiting the electric fence so that they get a stronger shock than they've been getting, which hopefully will discourage them from coming in. i hope that works.

more on the family cow

i've been learning a lot about cows lately. reading, visiting different farms and talking to people. one thing that strikes me is how generous the people we visited have been with their time and sharing of what they know.

last week we visited an abbey in Bethlehem, CT. the nuns who live there have 400 acres, and their place is beautiful. it's a kind of homestead, and of course religious community; they live there and produce much of their own food. the nun we met with is in charge of the milking cows. she took a few hours with us, showing us her animals, the pastures they are rotated through, and their barns and milking parlor, as well as the creamery, where they turn their raw milk into gorgeous butter, creamy yoghurt and all kinds of cheeses. we were told that another nun is in charge of the gardens, where she grows food and preserves for the winter months. apparently most of what the nun produce is for their own use, with very little for sale and only when they have extra.
the abbey had a very idylic feel about it, so much so that sena and aiyana asked me if they could be nuns. yes, living away from the cares and craziness of the world, providing for your own needs, in rythm with nature is certainly an appealing ideal. but there is more to being a nun, and i tried to explain that.

as of now, we seem to be leaning towards two heritage multipurpose cow breeds: dexters and devons. we are looking for 2 cows with the following characteristics:

• hardy and vigurous, for year-round rotation on pasture. the main reason we are getting cows is for soil health and fertility. we plan to integrate them with our vegetable production, rotating them in a way that will improve soil, build good pasture, and ensure long term, sustainable fertility.

• good temperament so that the kids can be around them on a regular basis, milking and caring for them
• low milk production, since the milk will be only for our own needs

there is no financial reward for us in doing things this way, quite the opposite actually. but there are other rewards, such as building a more sustainable homestead for ourselves; teaching sena and aiyana practical skills that they can use to live independently if they chose to; and doing what's good for the earth.

peace

food preservation for the winter months

last friday i spent the whole day in the kitchen. i canned tomato sauce and froze/vacuum sealed red and green peppers, and peaches. i still have beans to do, but we're starting to have a nice stock of food for the winter. sena helped, as you see in this picture, she picked the peaches, and did the vacuum sealing.

peace