spring is coming

i know that you can't tell by looking outside, at least if you live in CT, but spring is surely coming! i've been noticing more and more birds singing in the morning; and yesterday, i was so excited when i checked the hoop tunnels in our old field: our over-wintered spinach is cranking under there, it's green and big and gorgeous looking. i had no idea what to expect, and i did not check in a very long time bc the plastic has been frozen to the ground, but yesterday, when i saw it, i was dancing with exciteement.

i also checked the mushroom logs, and they seem to be cranking too, with lots of little pinheads showing all over. after all this rain, i think we'll have some mushrooms, and the slugs would better not eat them all again!

the greenhouse is already full, and yesterday i could not contain my curiosity, so i dug out one of the scallion seeds i planted at the beginning of this month, and it is germinating! so any day now, the scallions should be poking their heads out of the soil.

i felt so inspired and encouraged by all this, that last night i finally sat down and figured out my crop rotation, i.e., which crop should follow which, and which should be planted next to which. i had been putting this off for a while, since it's complicated enought to get my head spinning, but i finally got it down on paper last night, at least for the first few months.

now we just have to wait for the ground to defrost, and then dry out before ed can plow and till, and then we're ready to plant.
exciting times!

peace

i have been so busy with all kinds of little things lately! my head feels very scattered jumping from one thing to the next and i really don't like it. i feel tight and out of breath.

one thing that's been very calming, has been crochet, because it allows me to relax while still having a focus. being in the greenhouse also works. it got to 90F (about 32C) in there last saturday. a little hot for my taste...

anyway, here are some pics that make me laugh (and laughing is always a good thing)

aiyana's pretty much always in costume. yesterday she was an "evil" witch. she was trying to look evil, but i think she was just cute.

i'm scared....

i made this hat yesterday

crazy nut

peace

Sevin (only one of many!) - let this speak for itself

Sevin is the third-most-utilized insecticide in the United States for home gardens, commercial agriculture, forestry and rangeland, according to this wikipedia article.

ed and i know several farmers at the markets we go to, who sell conventional fruits and vegetables, and use sevin routinely.

sevin (referred to by its scientific name Carbaryl) is toxic to humans, animals, and of course insects. i personally do not want it sprayed on my food, or anywhere near where i live. just quoting from the wikipedia article mentioned above:

Carbaryl is a cholinesterase inhibitor and is toxic to humans. It is classified as a likely human carcinogen by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA.) It kills various beneficial insect and crustacean species along with intended pest victims, so care must be taken when spraying where beneficial nontarget species are present. Carbaryl is acutely toxic to honeybees, destroying colonies of bees foraging in an area where the chemical has been applied.
Carbaryl is illegal in several countries, including the United Kingdom, Austria, Denmark, Sweden, Germany and Angola.

don't want to bore you with too much technical data (which is easily available on the web), but i'll just say that if you look at the Carbaryl Insecticide Hazard Data, you may be pretty scared that this is what's being sprayed on your food. this is what's being put in the environment, the air we breathe, the water we drink. etc.

another chemical i hear about a lot (mainly in converations w other farmers) is Roundup. it is a widely used herbicide. same kind of deal as Sevin, as far as health concerns and environmental concerns. you can find out more info in this wikipedia article.

if you're concerned about this at all, i'd suggest that the next time you're buying food at the grocery store, or market, or wherever you shop, you consider making a different choice, maybe buying food that was grown without these harmful chemicals. that does not automatically imply that you have to buy organic. it may be possible to speak to the vendor, and find out about the practices that the growers use. ed and i, for instance, are not certified organic, and we do not use any chemicals to grow our food. many other growers operate the same way.

just thought i'd share something i'm becoming more aware of myself...
peace

this morning

fun in the snow with julia and uncle ricardo. check it out here.

farm updates

our chickens have been laying between 12 and 15 eggs a day recently, which is very exciting. i love it each time we take another step to becoming self-sufficient. we have enough for ourselves now, and some to give away. eventually we plan to sell them at the market too.

here is a view of the chicken coops ed made. they are movable - in fact, he moves them every other day, so the chickens are always on fresh grass. they are in the run during the day, especially if there's no snow on the ground, and at night they get into the coop, which you can't see in the picture, but is attached at the end of the run. the coop gives them shelter from weather and potential predators (which we have plenty of around here).

progress in greenhouse: ed and i have been making soilblocks, and my dad helped this weekend when he and my mom came to visit. it was so warm in there, and pleasant. we're almost running out of room though...i guess we'll be needing a bigger one next year....

peace

the girls and i

i've been really into crochet lately. the girls and i got into it a few weeks ago, and i love it. last time i did it i must've been 6 or 7. mamaia used to crochet, and i learned from her. i didn't think i'd remember anything, and my head definitely didn't remember, but my hands did. as soon as i picked up the hook, i knew how to do it again. so i've been having lots of fun. my first project was these hats for sena and aiyana. they picked their own wool, and i just worked it.

here's the three of us hanging out on the couch

no fear

today is my birthday, and it's been a wonderful day already. ed went to work on the new house early as usual (6 or 7 am, i don't know, i'm not usually up), then he came back just before i got up and he and the girls made me breakfast. they had my coffee and english muffin ready on the table. after i ate, the girls gave me their presents. aiyana gave me this pillow that we've had for a couple of years. i use it every night when i lie down with them to read before bed. it was her pillow initially, and she figured that i really liked it, so she gave it to me as a present. isn't that sweet?
she and sena also gave me cards they made. aiyana drew a smiling woman with long brown hair. she drew rain and lightning around her, and she told me that the woman is not afraid, because she's Mother Earth. i thought, how appropriate, given that "no fear" has been my theme lately. i've been dealing with some anxiety, and "no fear" is the only cure, so i keep reminding myself...

sena made me two cards with beautiful artwork, and sweet wishes in them. she also sew a decoration for me.

i also got some lovely cards from my cousin in germany, and ed's grandfather, and my sister and ricardo. people have been emailing and calling to wish me a happy birthday.

i feel really blessed to have these sweet, simple gifts in my life. it's a beautiful day.

peace

i've been working in the greenhouse

these are pictures of the greenhouse being put together by ed and i a few weeks ago

and finally, planting....

i've already made 500 soil blocks, and seeded them with scallions. more scallions planned for tomorrow, then onions and cabbage next week, and lettuces the week after that. then, in march things will really start to get busy. i love it, i've been waiting and planning for this all winter and now i can actually do something. not to mention that i love being in the greenhouse. it's so warm and sunny and pleasant in there, and i'm usually working by myself, just me and the plants, which feels special.

i think we're getting these goats

we're talking of getting goats to clear brush. we'd like to bring some new land into production for next year, but we need it cleared first and goats are very good at that. plus, they'll bring fertility to the farm, and we can milk them. we drink goat's milk, and i've made paneer out of it too, which is great. anyway, it just happens that some of our friends are thinking of selling their goats, so it's perfect. two females, and a male, and one female is pregnant and will give birth in april.

on saturday, we went to our friends' house to feed and water the goats - just practicing, i guess...
these are Shamus and Vera (Vera is pregnant)

and this is Folly

they're oberhossies, a swiss type of goat. that's about all i know....

some before and after

i was speaking to my friend Maf on the phone a few days ago, and she really wanted to see pics of the house. so here are some, of the outside.

this was what the front of the house looked like. the porch was in really bad shape, so ed and jonnie removed it.

this was the side of the house that you can see from the road

this is the same side after ed resided it. he's just putting up the last piece of siding in this picture.

and this is what the house looks like now, all sided, new windows in place, and scaffolding removed. there's still lots of junk (like that tank) lying around, but we'll remove it once construction is over.

the inside of the house is still pretty much bare beams right now. we just got the insulation yesterday, so that will go in soon. ed's making progress with wiring, and jonnie put up some boards where the walls will be. i'll post some before-and-after pictures, when we have a little more of an after.

Happy Birth

my sister gave birth yesterday to another beautiful little girl. little Stella was born at home, and everything went very well. my sister and ricardo looked great when i saw them, about 1.5hrs after the birth, and again today. julia is very excited about being a big sister.
ceck out their blog for pics.

peace, and Happy Groundhog Day!

girls!

we had some snow yesterday - and lots of play outside

sena, aiyana, and their friends clara and giovanna, who we homeschool with, played their recorders this week. they're learning their notes, and bryan is the teacher (and also the only one who can take the high pitched noise. i left - had to go outside for a break...)

aiyana is not afraid to laugh. here, sena was being funny, pretending to be a dog, and aiyana was in hysterics.

check out aiyana's style in these pictures. i love how she combines clothes - she has no restrictions as far as color, types of clothes, accessories. she follows no rules, but does as she pleases. she's so free and playful - i love it.

and that stuff around the her mouth is jam from breakfast. i think the goggles are a bit tight on her - check out her left eye...

peace

house updates

ed finished plumbing for the whole house, and is now working on the electrical. jonnie's made progress with the insulation, and as of yesterday, he started preparations for putting up interior walls. the house is really starting to look livable. and it's beautiful. we're very excited.

we decided that we'd move in April 1st. some things won't be done by then, but we think that the major stuff will be, and the rest, ed and jonnie can work on after we're already in there. ed and i are relieved to have set a date for the move - that makes it easier to plan the farming stuff. ed's getting into farming again, which is great. he's talking about plowing 20 beds in february, which will be great, since i need to plant in march. the greenhouse is all set up, and next week i will be starting onion and scallion seedling in there. i'm excited! i love being in the greenhouse, it's nice and warm, and it's still like being outside...

i'm planning to go to some antique and second hand stores looking for light fixtures and other stuff we may need for the house. i'm not into shopping at all, but i think i can get into it a little bit for this. we'll see.

peace

Boogie Street

ed took sena and aiyana to gymnastics yesterday, and, after i finished cooking i sat and listen to leonard cohen's "ten new songs". what a treat! i sat there, in the dark, transported by the music.right now, i feel a particularl connection with "Boogie Street" - the lyrics and music are amazing. here are the lyrics, and i'm sure you can find the music online if you're interested.


O Crown of Light, O Darkened One,
I never thought we’d meet.
You kiss my lips, and then it’s done:
I’m back on Boogie Street.

A sip of wine, a cigarette,
And then it’s time to go
I tidied up the kitchenette;
I tuned the old banjo.
I’m wanted at the traffic-jam.
They’re saving me a seat.
I’m what I am, and what I am,
Is back on Boogie Street.

And O my love, I still recall
The pleasures that we knew;
The rivers and the waterfall,
Wherein I bathed with you.
Bewildered by your beauty there,
I’d kneel to dry your feet.
By such instructions you prepare
A man for Boogie Street.

O Crown of Light, O Darkened One…

So come, my friends, be not afraid.
We are so lightly here.
It is in love that we are made;
In love we disappear.
Though all the maps of blood and flesh
Are posted on the door,
There’s no one who has told us yet
What Boogie Street is for.

O Crown of Light, O Darkened One,
I never thought we’d meet.
You kiss my lips, and then it’s done:
I’m back on Boogie Street.

A sip of wine, a cigarette,
And then it’s time to go…

loose tooth finally fell out

sena lost her first tooth yesterday. she was so excited! it had been loose for a couple of weeks, and she could barely wait for it to fall out. when it finally did, i gave her a special stone, which was the present she wanted from the tooth fairy. we're really honest with the kids in general, and so we told them the truth about the tooth fairy and santa and the rest. they still enjoy receiving presents from these characters, even though they know it's really us. anyway, last night, sena put her special stone under her pillow. then, before she fell asleep, she said to me "mama, tomorrow morning if i have two things under my pillow, i'll know that there's a real tooth fairy." it was so sweet, and i had to struggle against getting up in the middle of the night to put something else under there, just to keep the magic going. she seemed to want that...anyway, i guess ed had the same idea, because when sena got up this morning, there was another thing under her pillow, another pretty stone, but she guessed right away that it was from ed...

so, here's a picture of the missing tooth (and i don't know why that gray bar appears at the bottom of my pics, i think my USB drive may be corrupted)




last night, before going to bed, we were talking about learning. referring to math in particular, sena said to me "inside my head, i already know all these things, but i need someone to teach me, then they come out". i love that - it's simple and beautiful and so true.

peace

a quote

i cannot believe how well this describes the way i feel these days. i was writing earlier about being very happy, and this sums up why i feel this way. anyway, here it is:

"The best things in life are nearest: Breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just before you. Then do not grasp at the stars, but do life's plain, common work as it comes, certain that daily duties and daily bread are the sweetest things in life." - Robert louis Stevenson

isn't that lovely? i think that to be able to appreciate and enjoy the mundane, is such a gift, and i feel blessed to have it.
(thanks for sharing, jennifer....)

peace

the joy of mundane things

i've been feeling really, really good lately, full of energy, and just very happy with things in general. things are great with the kids, and ed and i have been working together on the greenhouse and other farming projects, and getting along well. i told ed that this is the first time that we're working together on something that we're both into just as much. usually, i find that if we're working on something that one of us is more into than the other, there's bound to be some conflict and frustration. that's why i generally prefer to work alone. but with farming, things have been good so far. we work on many tasks together, but at the same tome we do have our individual tasks within that bigger tasks, so in the end it feels like we get our own space, but still cooperate towards whatever it is we're trying to accomplish. hopefuly this will continue...

i've come to respect ed more than ever now that i see up close how he works and how he does things in general. he's very hard-working, and has great work ethic. he does things well and does not cut any corners. he's really honest (too honest sometimes), and that also translates to the way he works. he's also very handy and can make anything out of anything, which for me is almost miraculous since i am so not handy. he's really good at building things and fixing things, and he has really practical ideas. he's always been really highly regarding in all his jobs, be it engineering, surveying, and i'm sure that even when he was a dealer at the casino, way back when, he was good at it (although he hated it). anyway, i can see why people liked him as a worker, and it's really nice that he can finally apply his energy and talents to something we both care so much about.

anyway, on a different topic:
ed thought that we should start a blog for our farm. the idea is to have a space where people can check what's going on at the moment, and in general, get an idea of our philosophy, or approach to farming and to life in general. i'm not sure if we should start a whole new blog, or just kind of make it part of this blog, since i seem to be writing mostly about farming anyway. and i would not want to contribute to 2 blogs, i already feel like i'm spending too much time on the computer, and i'd like to limit my time to no more than 2 hours a week. anyway, for now, we decided that ed could post his stuff here, and later we'll see if we need to start something else. he wrote something about the kids this past weekend (this is not farm related), so i'll post it here:

January 17, 2010
The other day Aiyana was helping to look for eggs in the chicken houses. Some of the hens were in the laying boxes, Aiyana just reached right in with both hands and felt around underneath them. One of the hens started to flap her wings and ended up walking across Aiyana’s shoulder, continuing to flap her wings. Aiyana’s reaction, “Ohh Myyyyy!” She is quite fearless with animals, maybe too fearless, something she gets from me. Sena would not have liked this episode, she doesn’t like getting close to the chickens when they are in their coop.

Sena has been doing amazing, with almost everything she does. She is very good at gymnastics, doing headstands, indefinitely, and handstands, for 8 seconds. Her speech, for years now, has been unbelievably articulate. Her word choices when speaking on the phone are more proper than I would ever come up with. I see her working for the UN when she is 30. Her desire to be read to and her desire to learn to read are inspiring.

Aiyana, crazia, I see her being a rock star. Also, most days, she mentions she’ll have horses when she is an adult.

aiyana

aiyana and i have been spending some time together, just the two of us. she is so much fun to be with, so easygoing, and so funny. she'll always say or do something crazy and unexpected, to make me laugh. or she'll just say something so sweet and innocent that i just have to squeeze her in my arms. she's really full of joy and a pleasure to be around. she used to be so fussy as a baby, crying a lot, and very demanding. but she's come to be so different now, happy and full of joy...

kind of started

today the girls and i went to the stone quarry to fill sandbags. we're setting up our greenhouse this weekend. it will be a full, walk-in greenhouse, about 12ft wide by 40 ft long. we'll be covering it with plastic, and weighing the plastic down with sandbags. i'm planting my first seedlings the first week of february. i'm so ready to start.... today it felt like we almost did.

the 4 of us