Well, the kids have been sick and we have all been a little stir crazy. Or maybe it is just me. I have been spending a lot of time playing zoo tycoon with Eva and doing lots and lots of puzzles and every piece of laundry is done and I have picked up the house, every toy out of place, over and over in an effort, I suppose to move around a bit. Ah. Winter. So it is almost dark by 4:30 by now and completely dark for sure by 5:00. And I am remembering how long the time between getting up in the morning and the time we go to bed at night can seem when the kids can't spend a good bit of it in the evening outside and this is exacerbated when they are sick because we aren't even taking an evening walk, which can be great for everyone, particularly for all of us.
We are eagerly counting down the days to Thanksgiving, which is, as Samuel pointed out, just one day now. The day after tomorrow. It is finally here. We are having turkey and potatoes and stuffing and salad and squash ala Ellen and apple pie ala Ellen and pumpkin muffins and fruit like satsumas and pears and cranberries. Oh, and some kind of kale maybe. I like to stick it in when I can. Herbs from the backyard. Probably some kind of bread like rolls or I may make some artisan loaf if I am inspired tomorrow. My friend Sara and her family are going to join us this year as they are in town from New York and I think they will bring another pie or dessert of their choice.
I tried to get a local turkey but they were all sold out. I was even laughed at by a farmer at the market, "We sold out in September..." Gosh. I know I wasn't thinking about ordering a turkey in September, but now I know. I put it on the calendar for next year. Get turkey in September! So the turkey will be from a pretty good place but not entirely local and I will pick it up from New Seasons, which is, after all, doing pretty well to help us buy as local as possible. The produce is all local except those satsumas we all love so much. I got salad mix, squash, potatoes, onions, garlic, brussel sprouts, celeriac (which was so neat looking that I thought about putting it into water so that it could maybe take root again. It looked like a pineapple when it showed up in the basket and that, with the brussel sprouts still on the stem, were stunning!) and then some from my produce basket this week and of course you all know how much kale we have in the garden and there are plenty of herbs still thriving back there and I found local cranberries and pears and apples at the market. As well as cider. I forgot to mention we will probably have brussel sprouts as well. So maybe no kale? Not sure. I do know that the little leaves and stalks on the celeriac are going into the stuffing. I still don't have definite plans for the celeriac root itself, although my guess is that it will fare better than the fennel, which is, by the way, still in there. And another was added this week. Maybe fennel for Thanksgiving? Probably not.
Eva and I just made some really delicious raspberry-blackberry sorbet (u-picked!) in Ellen's sorbet maker that we still have. She is, alas, taking it back tomorrow. Oh well. Maybe Santa will bring me one for Christmas? They have them at Macy's and they are quite reasonable, just in case he can't make one in his workshop.
It's funny, but for the last several days, including today, Eva has been very restless and we have done so many activities, puzzles, books, games, talks, puppet shows, baths, you name it. And there has been a hint of dissatisfaction surrounding her and the activities with her stomping her feet at me and wanting me to just sit wherever she is, irritation between the two of us at several points. Just now we made the sorbet together, both of us thoroughly enjoying ourselves and, just like that, we are connected again. Connection can sometimes be so elusive and other times right on. And it is, after all, one of the main processes of parenting and childing. Without it, people around here tend to run around yelling pell mell all over the house. Hmmm. Maybe it hasn't been stir craziness that has infected everyone around here. Nothing a little sorbet making can't fix. And sitting still doesn't hurt either. Just more parts to the process.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Friday, November 16, 2007
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Garden
Well, the garden is going strong. We have a ton of broccoli and the kale is amazing. And the radishes I planted when? are doing really well. Also carrots and let me tell you the borage has really made a home for itself out there. The sweet peas are getting ready to flower! I didn't know if it would work planting them when I did but it turns out you really can treat this time of year as a sort of second spring out here in the Pacific Northwest, which is a maritime climate. Unfortunately, the pumpkin that was orange-ing out there molded before it fully ripened. It is a good meal for the slugs at this point and still pretty out there in the garden among the many borage plants. I am pleased the plant was able to produce a pumpkin at all as it was the first pumpkin plant I have planted in recent memory.
Here are some lovely shots of the fall garden!
Here are the year old broccoli plants I planted last fall. They are very tall. They don't give large heads of broccoli any more, but all of the little heads add up to quite a bit of broccoli. More, actually, than a larger head might. Not sure what they will do through this winter. All of the heads are trying to flower right now, making a last ditch effort, perhaps, and some of the leaves are actually yellowing. Ah, the life of a broccoli plant!
Little broccoli heads. Borage flowers in the background.
Garden bounty.
Samuel's garden, complete with chard.
Kale!
Radishes popping out of the Earth.
Radishes.
Here are some lovely shots of the fall garden!
Here are the year old broccoli plants I planted last fall. They are very tall. They don't give large heads of broccoli any more, but all of the little heads add up to quite a bit of broccoli. More, actually, than a larger head might. Not sure what they will do through this winter. All of the heads are trying to flower right now, making a last ditch effort, perhaps, and some of the leaves are actually yellowing. Ah, the life of a broccoli plant!
Little broccoli heads. Borage flowers in the background.
Garden bounty.
Samuel's garden, complete with chard.
Kale!
Radishes popping out of the Earth.
Radishes.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
catch up
Today was Matt's birthday and the kids and I had a little celebration for him, complete with a special ice cream cake from Baskin-Robbins. We gave him a hat he had been wanting for the rain and had fun eating cake and ice cream.
We finished reading The Secret Garden and really enjoyed it. It inspired some more gardening and Samuel wants to take a class to learn to speak Yorkshire. He was quite taken with the character Dickon and has been going out to learn how to charm the animals. He came running in from his garden today to tell me that the plants like him!
Two books we have enjoyed lately are A Cobweb Christmas by Shirley Climo and Would You Rather by John Birningham. We really loved A Cobweb Christmas, which is the story of how spiders (with some help from Kris Kringle) created tinsel for Christmas trees. And Would You Rather is a great conversation-er book. The kids and I had a lot of fun one night talking about whether we would rather learn to ride a pig or a goat or go up a tree with an elf or...you get the idea. It is a lot of fun. And right on time, too! We were in need of a little fun and connection.
Samuel wanted some litmus paper and we found some at Omsi the last time we went. He has been concocting something in the back yard and keeps checking the pH level of it. We tested vinegar, lemon juice, soap, baking soda, water and different combinations of all of these.
Let's see, we are spending our time playing indoors and out these days. Samuel has his indoor PE class at the indoor soccer place and his riding lessons. One round of art classes is over and I have yet to sign them up for more. We went to see a children's concert through the Oregon Symphony which was enjoyable, although Samuel was disappointed they didn't play the entire composition of Peter and the Wolf and instead played different selections from different songs.
The kids have several games going right now with different locations throughout the house and in the backyard. Dinosaurs, firefighters, one with the power ranger figures living in a playmobil castle and something to do with robots? And of course, the Grinch and Sam-I-Am game, which is on-again-off-again and for now is on-again.
It goes something like this, "Wanna play?"
"Yeah, what?"
"Firefighter game..." and the receiver knows all that this entails.
"Yes!" or "No!" depending.
Sometimes there is bargaining like, "Ok, the t-rexes can be good!" or "Ok, I won't make grumpy kitty part of that game."
This goes on throughout the day and they move between games and past games and sometimes they play together and sometimes they play alone and sometimes they play first together and then alone or first alone and then together or first dinosaurs and then into the Grinch game and sometimes they stop and watch The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat with the Grinch and sometimes they watch Green Eggs and Ham with Sam-I-Am. Either way, the best games seem to be late at night, right when I am thinking we really ought to be going to bed...
This is a one person space craft. Check out the leaves from our prodigious Oak!
We finished reading The Secret Garden and really enjoyed it. It inspired some more gardening and Samuel wants to take a class to learn to speak Yorkshire. He was quite taken with the character Dickon and has been going out to learn how to charm the animals. He came running in from his garden today to tell me that the plants like him!
Two books we have enjoyed lately are A Cobweb Christmas by Shirley Climo and Would You Rather by John Birningham. We really loved A Cobweb Christmas, which is the story of how spiders (with some help from Kris Kringle) created tinsel for Christmas trees. And Would You Rather is a great conversation-er book. The kids and I had a lot of fun one night talking about whether we would rather learn to ride a pig or a goat or go up a tree with an elf or...you get the idea. It is a lot of fun. And right on time, too! We were in need of a little fun and connection.
Samuel wanted some litmus paper and we found some at Omsi the last time we went. He has been concocting something in the back yard and keeps checking the pH level of it. We tested vinegar, lemon juice, soap, baking soda, water and different combinations of all of these.
Let's see, we are spending our time playing indoors and out these days. Samuel has his indoor PE class at the indoor soccer place and his riding lessons. One round of art classes is over and I have yet to sign them up for more. We went to see a children's concert through the Oregon Symphony which was enjoyable, although Samuel was disappointed they didn't play the entire composition of Peter and the Wolf and instead played different selections from different songs.
The kids have several games going right now with different locations throughout the house and in the backyard. Dinosaurs, firefighters, one with the power ranger figures living in a playmobil castle and something to do with robots? And of course, the Grinch and Sam-I-Am game, which is on-again-off-again and for now is on-again.
It goes something like this, "Wanna play?"
"Yeah, what?"
"Firefighter game..." and the receiver knows all that this entails.
"Yes!" or "No!" depending.
Sometimes there is bargaining like, "Ok, the t-rexes can be good!" or "Ok, I won't make grumpy kitty part of that game."
This goes on throughout the day and they move between games and past games and sometimes they play together and sometimes they play alone and sometimes they play first together and then alone or first alone and then together or first dinosaurs and then into the Grinch game and sometimes they stop and watch The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat with the Grinch and sometimes they watch Green Eggs and Ham with Sam-I-Am. Either way, the best games seem to be late at night, right when I am thinking we really ought to be going to bed...
This is a one person space craft. Check out the leaves from our prodigious Oak!
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Hey, I knit a hat in a day!
I did. I can hardly believe it. AND! I like the hat and can wear it. This week I made my hat, finished up Eva's poncho (with fringe!) and found out how to lengthen a sweater I finished last month. Now I am working on a scarf to go with the hat (I don't usually do scarves because they go on and on and on...) and truth be known I am sort of avoiding the sweater with the two new skeins of yarn I bought this week specifically to lengthen it. To lengthen the sweater requires cutting it and this is something I have never done. To cut into knitting requires a sort of boldness and trust in your skills. I am almost there. No pictures of the poncho yet. I will try and take some tomorrow! And the hat too. Oh and I nearly forgot I finished a hat for Eva as well. Fun.
Recently overheard in our house...
"Hey Samuel, do you want to play?" [Eva]
"No. Not unless the t-rexes can be evil."[Samuel]
"No thank you."[Eva]
"Momma, I make everything into babies because I just love babies!" [Eva]
"We aren't getting any more toys out until I have a chance to vacuum!"[Samuel]
"Momma! Look!"[Eva]
"Isn't she fancy..."[Eva]
"Do you like my sculpture?"[Eva], "Do you like my volcano?"[Samuel]
"Momma! Look at me!"
"No. Not unless the t-rexes can be evil."[Samuel]
"No thank you."[Eva]
"Momma, I make everything into babies because I just love babies!" [Eva]
"We aren't getting any more toys out until I have a chance to vacuum!"[Samuel]
"Momma! Look!"[Eva]
"Isn't she fancy..."[Eva]
"Do you like my sculpture?"[Eva], "Do you like my volcano?"[Samuel]
"Momma! Look at me!"
Friday, November 2, 2007
fennel
There was fennel in my produce basket this week. I am not keen on fennel and I wondered what I would do with it. Would I simply leave it in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks until mold grew on it and then take it out to the compost pile? Would I try a recipe and then freeze the part I didn't like and leave it there for months until I cleaned out the freezer again...Eva found a use for the fennel that was, I believe, far more rewarding for us and the fennel. She used it to line her dinosaur nest and deposited her dinosaur eggs in it.
Eva building her nest with the fennel. The dinosaur eggs (roasted pumpkin seeds from Halloween, of which there is an enormous amount...)
The dinosaur nest with eggs, a stegosaurus nest to be exact.
"I never thought I could be a real dinosaur mother..." she said with awe and satisfaction!
Eva's own photo of the nest and the remains of the fennel (still enough, I suppose, to sit it out in the refrigerator for a while, unless I make a bold move and put it directly in the compost pile tonight! Any fennel fans out there, we have some extra!)
Eva building her nest with the fennel. The dinosaur eggs (roasted pumpkin seeds from Halloween, of which there is an enormous amount...)
The dinosaur nest with eggs, a stegosaurus nest to be exact.
"I never thought I could be a real dinosaur mother..." she said with awe and satisfaction!
Eva's own photo of the nest and the remains of the fennel (still enough, I suppose, to sit it out in the refrigerator for a while, unless I make a bold move and put it directly in the compost pile tonight! Any fennel fans out there, we have some extra!)
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