We just got back home from Montreal. Sena, Aiyana and I went to visit my parent for the holidays. We had a nice time with them, and Sena, who's doing a family tree, initiated a lot of conversation and story telling about family members from long ago, which was a great bonding experience.
My sister and her family were there too for a few days, so we got to spend some time all together, which was a little chaotic, but still, a treat.
Today, the girls and I drove home, and I have to admit that I feel relief. I don't like and don't feel well being indoors for long time, but in the city, it feels like the only thing to do outdoors is walk around the streets and shop. I'm not into shopping, so the girls and I walked around, and went to some cafes, but I felt empty. I'm sure that if I had to I would re-adapt to city life, but right now it feels difficult to live in a place with so few trees and so little natural landscape, and so much man-made stuff.
So I felt great driving through the mountains of Vermont today, and when I got back home I had a surge of energy. Went for a walk around the fields and I can't wait till tomorrow to get my hands dirty again, and work with the soil. I'll find something to do in the greenhouse, some weeding, or planting, or anything just to get me grounded again.
Peace
Monday, December 30, 2013
Saturday, December 28, 2013
The funniest
Check out my little niece, Stella, singing Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah, on the potty. Here she is.
Friday, December 27, 2013
The gift that lays unopened
There are mysteries
that will never be revealed,
As they shouldn't.
The mountains, wise and old,
will hold their secrets, quietly,
As they should.
Majestic old trees,
made of sun and earth,
Will not divulge the workings
of time and nature.
Birds will not tell
of never-ending voyage
across boreal forest, mountains, deserts,
But they will sing of it.
Whales will not speak
about the sacred ocean,
whose depths they only know;
It's written in their eyes.
These secrets are not for distracted, insensitive humans.
They will not be bought or sold, ever!
They cannot be told,
But must be felt, experienced,
Through pure yearning, desire, and deep humility.
This precious knowing of the earth and our place on it is our gift at birth,
A forgotten gift we search for all our lives,
not knowing what we're looking for,
down busy city streets,
in stifling office buildings,
in failed relationships.
A gift that's ready to open when we're ready.
Look to the powerful beings who know!
Pay them deep respect, and you may be granted a glimpse.
A glimpse that makes this life worthwhile.
Peace
that will never be revealed,
As they shouldn't.
The mountains, wise and old,
will hold their secrets, quietly,
As they should.
Majestic old trees,
made of sun and earth,
Will not divulge the workings
of time and nature.
Birds will not tell
of never-ending voyage
across boreal forest, mountains, deserts,
But they will sing of it.
Whales will not speak
about the sacred ocean,
whose depths they only know;
It's written in their eyes.
These secrets are not for distracted, insensitive humans.
They will not be bought or sold, ever!
They cannot be told,
But must be felt, experienced,
Through pure yearning, desire, and deep humility.
This precious knowing of the earth and our place on it is our gift at birth,
A forgotten gift we search for all our lives,
not knowing what we're looking for,
down busy city streets,
in stifling office buildings,
in failed relationships.
A gift that's ready to open when we're ready.
Look to the powerful beings who know!
Pay them deep respect, and you may be granted a glimpse.
A glimpse that makes this life worthwhile.
Peace
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Sena is 10!
My beautiful Sena turned 10 yesterday! I can hardly believe it, which is what every parent says about their children, but it is nevertheless true. She is truly a beautiful person, and wise beyond her 10 years.
She teaches Ed and I as much as we teach her, and about more important things. We teach her how to get along in life, and she teaches us about seeing clearly. I want to give her the necessary tools to get through life, as far as practical knowledge, etc., but I don't want to interfere with or muddle her inborn sense of justice, her integrity, and her clarity about what's important.
One of the greatest gifts Sena, and Aiyana have given me, is the ability to get over myself, and just get on with life. They have given me a much wider perspective on life, which on one hand diminishes my own self-important attitude, and on the other hand spurs me into action through the realization that what I do is important, and does have tangible consequences.
We had two parties to celebrate, one with Sena's friends and one with her grandparents and cousin. We also celebrated quietly, together, just the four of us, by watching pictures and reminiscing about Sena's birth 10 years ago. As far as presents, I knitted her a scarf/hat, Ed got her a focus pad to practice her karate kicks, and Aiyana got her some pretty yarn to use in the knitting and crocheing. It was a good birthday.
Peace
She teaches Ed and I as much as we teach her, and about more important things. We teach her how to get along in life, and she teaches us about seeing clearly. I want to give her the necessary tools to get through life, as far as practical knowledge, etc., but I don't want to interfere with or muddle her inborn sense of justice, her integrity, and her clarity about what's important.
One of the greatest gifts Sena, and Aiyana have given me, is the ability to get over myself, and just get on with life. They have given me a much wider perspective on life, which on one hand diminishes my own self-important attitude, and on the other hand spurs me into action through the realization that what I do is important, and does have tangible consequences.
We had two parties to celebrate, one with Sena's friends and one with her grandparents and cousin. We also celebrated quietly, together, just the four of us, by watching pictures and reminiscing about Sena's birth 10 years ago. As far as presents, I knitted her a scarf/hat, Ed got her a focus pad to practice her karate kicks, and Aiyana got her some pretty yarn to use in the knitting and crocheing. It was a good birthday.
Peace
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Winter Solstice
Happy Winter Solstice! Today, we celebrate the return of the light, as the days start to slowly get longer.
For me, this is a time of introspection, rest and renewal. Just as everything in nature is now at rest, seeds laying dormant in the ground, animals hibernating in their shelters, so for us, humans, it feels good to slow down, let our bodies and minds rest from the activities of the past year, and renew for the coming season.
Winter Solstice reminds me that everything is a continual death / rebirth cycle. I see this played in front of my eyes throughout the year in different forms, on different scales; within humans too, this cycle is happening. So I ask myself, what physical aspects, ideas and ways of being are fading in my life, what do I need to let go of, and what is being born that needs to be nurtured?
I hope you enjoy and appreciate this special time of the year.
Peace
For me, this is a time of introspection, rest and renewal. Just as everything in nature is now at rest, seeds laying dormant in the ground, animals hibernating in their shelters, so for us, humans, it feels good to slow down, let our bodies and minds rest from the activities of the past year, and renew for the coming season.
Winter Solstice reminds me that everything is a continual death / rebirth cycle. I see this played in front of my eyes throughout the year in different forms, on different scales; within humans too, this cycle is happening. So I ask myself, what physical aspects, ideas and ways of being are fading in my life, what do I need to let go of, and what is being born that needs to be nurtured?
I hope you enjoy and appreciate this special time of the year.
Peace
Monday, December 16, 2013
The cow fell through
We just got word today that our cow arrangements fell through. The warts that the cow had on her teats got worse and she's been hard to milk because of that, so the woman selling her does not feel that it is right to sell her like that. Which is nice of her, but....
For us, this is very disappointing, as we've been waiting for this cow for a few months and we're all set up for her to come, and we've passed up some other nice cows for her. But at the same time, we don't want a cow with problems, especially since she'll be our first; so we'll have to start looking again. At least I'm glad that there's been some resolution, and we know where we stand, and we can move forward from here.
The "Grow Your Own Food" course Ed and I taught last week went really well. We put a lot of energy into it, ad we were both exhausted at the end (7 hours of intense focus and talking can do that), but sleep put us right again. We had 12 people attending, which was a good number given the size of our house. We had excellent feedback after the course, and people seemed really excited about what they learned and about going out to their gardens and applying it. One thing I found really uplifting and encouraging, and this is not the first time I've noticed this, is that people really do want to do what's right for the land, as far as working the soil in a beneficial way, without using toxic chemicals or poisons, but they just need to: 1) know that this is possible and realistic, and 2) get the practical knowledge on how to do it.
We got some snow on Saturday, so yesterday we had to dig out the greenhouses. We can't have too much snow accumulating on top of them or on their sides, or we'd risk the plastic covers getting ripped or even collapsing. So we shoveled, and it was a lot of work. It felt really nice to come in the house and sit by the fire afterwards. Unfortunately, once I sat down I didn't want to get back up, but diner had to be made, dishes had to be washed, and the children had to be put to bed. But, I did take some time for myself later, after everyone was asleep and snoring loudly - just the cats and I sitting on our soft sheepskins, staring into the fire. That felt luxurious.
Ed and I will be heading to the NEFV (New England Fruit and Vegetable) conference this week. It is a huge conference with thousands of people attending. Last time we were there, two years ago, we learned some practical things that served us well since. After we come back from the conference, it will be Sena's birthday, then Christmas, and then the girls and I will be going to Montreal to visit my family. Busy time of the year!
Peace
For us, this is very disappointing, as we've been waiting for this cow for a few months and we're all set up for her to come, and we've passed up some other nice cows for her. But at the same time, we don't want a cow with problems, especially since she'll be our first; so we'll have to start looking again. At least I'm glad that there's been some resolution, and we know where we stand, and we can move forward from here.
The "Grow Your Own Food" course Ed and I taught last week went really well. We put a lot of energy into it, ad we were both exhausted at the end (7 hours of intense focus and talking can do that), but sleep put us right again. We had 12 people attending, which was a good number given the size of our house. We had excellent feedback after the course, and people seemed really excited about what they learned and about going out to their gardens and applying it. One thing I found really uplifting and encouraging, and this is not the first time I've noticed this, is that people really do want to do what's right for the land, as far as working the soil in a beneficial way, without using toxic chemicals or poisons, but they just need to: 1) know that this is possible and realistic, and 2) get the practical knowledge on how to do it.
We got some snow on Saturday, so yesterday we had to dig out the greenhouses. We can't have too much snow accumulating on top of them or on their sides, or we'd risk the plastic covers getting ripped or even collapsing. So we shoveled, and it was a lot of work. It felt really nice to come in the house and sit by the fire afterwards. Unfortunately, once I sat down I didn't want to get back up, but diner had to be made, dishes had to be washed, and the children had to be put to bed. But, I did take some time for myself later, after everyone was asleep and snoring loudly - just the cats and I sitting on our soft sheepskins, staring into the fire. That felt luxurious.
Ed and I will be heading to the NEFV (New England Fruit and Vegetable) conference this week. It is a huge conference with thousands of people attending. Last time we were there, two years ago, we learned some practical things that served us well since. After we come back from the conference, it will be Sena's birthday, then Christmas, and then the girls and I will be going to Montreal to visit my family. Busy time of the year!
Peace
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Snow!
We got about 3 inches of snow yesterday, and today Sena said that she knows what people mean by "winter wonderland". Everything looked so beautiful.
This morning, we went sledding with some friends. It was really fun, but the play got kind of rough, and on the very last run down the hill Sena fell off her sled and got a bump on her forehead. Her gymnastics coach said that it's easy to tell that Sena and Aiyana spend a lot of time outdoors - they always come in smelling of fresh air, looking like they played in the dirt, and today with a scratch and a bump...
It was just us and these geese.
Friday, December 06, 2013
Fog
The land looks barren at this time of the year. Yesterday, the fields were covered by thick fog all day. But if you know them well, through the fog, you could catch a faint suggestion of what used to be, and what is yet to come.
Peace
Wednesday, December 04, 2013
These have a story to tell
My sister and I were talking about used clothes yesterday, and how much they can mean. To me, used clothes are clothes with a story to tell, so much more interesting than new.
These are my favorite shoes:
They're my Doc Martins, and I've had them since 1995. They've been with me in Montreal, when I was working at Pratt and living the city life; they came with me to the US when I decided I had to try something new; they're still going strong and serving me well now when I work in the field or ride my bike.
Peace
These are my favorite shoes:
Peace
What's going on with the cow?
Back in late summer, we were looking at cows. We saw a few and finally settled on a Dexter.
Her name is Ramsey and she was pregnant at the time. We were expecting her to have the calf in October and we thought we'd get both mother and baby here soon after . But it turns out the woman selling her to us was off on the pregnancy date, so Ramsey didn't give birth until November. Then, we had to wait 6 to 8 weeks to give her and the calf time to adjust after the birth. We went to visit them both last Saturday, and it seems that they're about ready to come here, except for the warts.
Ramsey has some warts which were exacerbated by hormones after birth, and they're on 2 out of her 4 teats, which makes it hard to milk her. We've been talking to a vet about this and it turns out it's not a big deal, and should resolve itself in a few months.
Where we are right now is that we're waiting to get vet signup on getting her moved here, then we have to arrange transportation. Hopefully they'll be here in the next two weeks.
We've been eagerly waiting for them to come. The good thing about all this waiting is that we got ready in the meantime. Ed got two barns ready for them: one is an old barn which he fixed and cleaned up. The other is a barn he built from scratch; it is a movable barn on wheels, similar to our movable chicken coops, the idea being to avoid an accumulation of manure in any one spot.
Ed also got fencing set up around the pasture. We're planning to do rotational grazing, which means that the cows will be moved to fresh pasture every day. This requires special fencing arrangements, but I think we're all set with that.
In the meantime, I've been reading and learning about cheese, butter and yoghurt making. I'm very excited. Sena and Aiyana have been practicing milking. They got one surgical glove each, filled it with water, tied it so the water would not spill out, poked a tiny hole in one finger, and then pretended that finger was a teat and tried milking. Ramsey's current owner told us that this would make good practice, but if nothing else, it's been great entertainment for the two of them.
Other than that, Ed and I have been spending quite a bit of time working on our "Grow Your Own Food" course. We're going to be teaching it this coming Saturday from 9am to 4pm. I think it's going to be good. We put together a lot of practical information that we've learned from our own experience, plus reading and talking with other farmers. I honestly wish someone had given us a course like that when we first started farming. And now, I wish someone would give us a course like that about small-scale pastured dairy cows.
Peace
Her name is Ramsey and she was pregnant at the time. We were expecting her to have the calf in October and we thought we'd get both mother and baby here soon after . But it turns out the woman selling her to us was off on the pregnancy date, so Ramsey didn't give birth until November. Then, we had to wait 6 to 8 weeks to give her and the calf time to adjust after the birth. We went to visit them both last Saturday, and it seems that they're about ready to come here, except for the warts.
Ramsey has some warts which were exacerbated by hormones after birth, and they're on 2 out of her 4 teats, which makes it hard to milk her. We've been talking to a vet about this and it turns out it's not a big deal, and should resolve itself in a few months.
Where we are right now is that we're waiting to get vet signup on getting her moved here, then we have to arrange transportation. Hopefully they'll be here in the next two weeks.
We've been eagerly waiting for them to come. The good thing about all this waiting is that we got ready in the meantime. Ed got two barns ready for them: one is an old barn which he fixed and cleaned up. The other is a barn he built from scratch; it is a movable barn on wheels, similar to our movable chicken coops, the idea being to avoid an accumulation of manure in any one spot.
Ed also got fencing set up around the pasture. We're planning to do rotational grazing, which means that the cows will be moved to fresh pasture every day. This requires special fencing arrangements, but I think we're all set with that.
In the meantime, I've been reading and learning about cheese, butter and yoghurt making. I'm very excited. Sena and Aiyana have been practicing milking. They got one surgical glove each, filled it with water, tied it so the water would not spill out, poked a tiny hole in one finger, and then pretended that finger was a teat and tried milking. Ramsey's current owner told us that this would make good practice, but if nothing else, it's been great entertainment for the two of them.
Other than that, Ed and I have been spending quite a bit of time working on our "Grow Your Own Food" course. We're going to be teaching it this coming Saturday from 9am to 4pm. I think it's going to be good. We put together a lot of practical information that we've learned from our own experience, plus reading and talking with other farmers. I honestly wish someone had given us a course like that when we first started farming. And now, I wish someone would give us a course like that about small-scale pastured dairy cows.
Peace
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