Wednesday, February 04, 2009

I did it again...

I did it again....waited WAY too long between posts.  But I have been busy, I promise...

Planted Something: I'm forcing tulip bulbs, but they're to tiny to bother with a photo right now...just imagine four sprouting bulbs in a purple pot.

Harvested Something:  It continues to be eggs, but every day the girls surprise me...someone "new" is laying, can you see?  I suspect it is our white Silkie, Sapphire.

Preserved something: In the manner that this refers to storing away food...I baked 7+ loaves of bread.  (See the entry under "Local Food")  Thank God I was able to control my hunger around the fresh baked bread and most of them got into the freezer...

Prepped something:  Right now, the only thing that comes to mind is all the dyeing we are doing to build up inventory, as we are applying to vend at the Massachusetts Sheep and Woolcraft Fair.

Cooked something: Nothing too exciting here; can we just acknowledge that I cook every day, and change this category to Knitted something?  (at least that comes with a picture...)  I was inspired by my friend Susan's ear warmer, and pulled together one of my own design with mittens, using some local wool that I dyed last year.  Funny how last year I didn't like the color or dye job, and this year...go figure.

Managed reserves:  This time of year, that means hay.  I am still searching for those final 3 dozen bales to get us through Spring.  I am reluctant to pay for hay, when my previous employer still owes me money (for which I was planning on getting hay...) but soon I will have to break down and fork over (eek!)  $5 a bale....sigh

And my friend Susan is also a farmer who preserves our reserves of endangered and heirloom populations.  We visited her about a week ago to see her American Buff geese:

and her Icelandic sheep.  Don't they look just like the Shetlands?  You have to get close enough  to check out the fleece structure to tell the difference.

Worked on local food systems:  I've met a Mennonite woman through our local knitting group that makes all her own bread, and WOW! is it good.  I had to beg only a little to ask her to  teach me, (since baking decent bread has so far in my life been a skill I cannot master) and besides her patient teaching, apparently the secret is using the right flour.  She uses Occident flour (which can only be had by waiting till the next trip to Pennsylvania and buying a 50# bag for our house) and Red Star yeast.  I was so happy when my stuff rose the first time, you'd think I won the lottery!

It was the start of a wonderful system - we are bartering for even more skills lessons in the future - pickling for dyeing yarn and so on...

Reduced waste/Recycled:  Well this category was also satisfied by knitting - I used stash yarn to knit up helmet liners for military personnel.  It was a satisfying  project, and I encourage anyone with needles and some wool yarn to think about it...

Learned something: No matter how ridiculous it may seem...the cat knows better.  I thought she was nuts spending 6 hours a day parked in front of the stove like this:


Until I turned on the self-cleaning feature (which heats up the oven quite hot) and out scurried a mouse.  Which she grabbed in her mouth and wouldn't give up until I  put a can of fresh cat food down on the floor nearby.  And so I was left to capture the mangled, yet still perky, mouse.  Which my husband helpfully suggested I could put out in the back hall until he got home to dispose of it.   Yeah....well, not actually.  The mouse had other ideas and left before DH got home by leaping tall garbage cans with a single bound and scurrying for freedom.  Which may  have simply meant back where he came from...because guess where Lucky is spending her days????  Hmm....


7 comments:

Michelle said...

So when do we see pictures of YOUR sheep? You do still HAVE sheep, doncha sister? :-)

melanie said...

Yikes! I am off to get photos now!

Unknown said...

The least you can do when you wait this long between posts, is send an email or postcard!!! I average almost 2 bales a day for feeding, depending on how big the bale is...yep its getting expensive. I forgot to tell you how cold my feet have been lately, fingers too;) Hint, Hint......LOL

Karin said...

I have been such an idiot, not reading your blog!!

Love your long list of accomplishments. My hat is off to you.

I hope we both get into Cummington, and can be booth neighbors. :) We'll have a sock yarn party.

melanie said...

That would be a blast! I would love to have someone I know there' and we can definitely plan a sock yarn party! Maybe we should think up a "tag team promo" where if they buy a skein of each of our yarns, they get a free pattern or something....

Kathy said...

ROFLMAO!!! Yes, cats are smart about these things. I used to have two brother cats. When we were doing some remodeling, I noticed that one would sit "on guard" in the torn-up room, staring at the wall behind the built-in desk and shelves. The other brother would be eating/sleeping/etc. Then, after about three hours the other brother would come in and relieve the one on guard who would then go eat, etc. This went on for a few days until one morning I saw a mangled mouse being tossed around like a soccerball. They taught me:
Patience is a virtue. :)

Crosswinds Farm said...

You have waaay more self control than I, fresh baked bread would never make it as far as the freezer!