tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47683040270925164572024-03-14T11:54:55.466-04:00Always creating something at HomeI'm a mother and a crafter seeking a few minutes of peace and beauty and striving to live a greener, more self-sufficient life.SLEastlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656064035138968091noreply@blogger.comBlogger195125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768304027092516457.post-52541358832699863052011-11-22T17:27:00.000-05:002011-11-22T17:27:50.403-05:00New nautical roomMy daughter has long been obsessed with pirates and all things nautical. Even though she begged me three years ago to let her have a pink room (only a month after I'd painted it yellow), she spent the better part of the last six months begging me for a blue room. Pink and blue are the two colors I don't like on walls or in houses. I'm partial to warm neutrals. Alas, what's a pirate's mother to do in the end. We now have a blue room in our house.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New laminated nautical world map, blue striped duvet, and shark sheets. Arrgh!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rope hung shelves to display all things nautical and trophies plundered and earned for feats of bravery.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Desk made by Captain's mum for arts and crafts and plotting ship's course.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ship's wheel clock for steering young pirates to activities on time.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Book cases made by pirate's mum to hold treasure maps and booty and such.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look! Space for more booty!</td></tr>
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Savannah still has her treasure chest at the foot of her bed, filled with the egg money she saves and other personal treasures. We are only awaiting a low-pile chenille rug on back order to complete the project. I can say with great accuracy that this pirate's mum is looking forward to relaxing for the holidays now that the captain's quarters are in tip-top ship-shape.SLEastlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656064035138968091noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768304027092516457.post-8828666733014081642011-11-20T00:21:00.000-05:002011-11-20T00:21:54.457-05:00So longMy apologies for not posting in so long. My husband is working a new job this year that renders me a single mom about 95% of the time. I've been learning new habits to keep myself sane during this time and to keep the kids involved in their regular activities.<br />
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I am tired all the time, as you can probably see from this picture, but keep up with my little rascals as best I can. They've had plenty of new milestones I should've shared. William sings his ABCs in the cutest little voice. Savannah rides her bike without training wheels and is ready to graduate to a larger one.<br />
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William rides his tricycle now on the road all by himself and put his first pee in the potty (no pictures of that thank goodness!). <br />
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Savannah tested for her brown belt in Taekwondo and was praised for her positive energy, focus, and indomitable spirit. William fell in love with a race car blankie that nearly takes the place of mommy's tummy and Savannah became a full Brownie in her Girl Scout troop.<br />
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Because this will be a challenging year for me with little free time, I won't be able to post very often until Kevin's job changes next year. Probably best to subscribe if you want new happenings to appear in your inbox, rather than having to check back to see that I have or have not posted. Wish me luck and have a great Thanksgiving!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicxWSI_HvJq-yfwe0VvnYrGeBcwmfspUiLRrFabJdhqHJsJ6kAcLtcRrsz1WbC9-WossYfj74IVNlP13y3CzbKdc1RMg-UsxmDQh75SM_qQUIYdhgS0ouj2OP2yEVXmVadkSP7wtu_vmKC/s1600/100_0080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicxWSI_HvJq-yfwe0VvnYrGeBcwmfspUiLRrFabJdhqHJsJ6kAcLtcRrsz1WbC9-WossYfj74IVNlP13y3CzbKdc1RMg-UsxmDQh75SM_qQUIYdhgS0ouj2OP2yEVXmVadkSP7wtu_vmKC/s320/100_0080.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>SLEastlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656064035138968091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768304027092516457.post-57348470608124644092011-09-08T22:13:00.000-04:002011-09-08T22:13:00.882-04:00Piano for SIn just less than a year, Savannah has come a long way in her piano lessons. I'm so proud of her that she can already read music better than I can. Sometimes I try to imagine where she'll be in one more year of piano lessons. Anyway, the time had come when her keyboard was holding her back. The keys aren't touch sensitive and there were no pedals. But the dilemma for us is that in our open contemporary house, there are very few interior walls. Add that to the fact that we heat two floors of our house with a woodstove and we have a recipe for disaster for a real piano. Fortunately, we discovered that the electronic pianos have really come leaps and bounds in the past few years and without strings and hammers, they aren't as sensitive, requiring even humidity and temperature year round.<br />
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So Savannah finally received a more suitable practice piano and it even comes with a view of the garden and pond, something a regular piano couldn't have. She enjoys the pedals and the three levels of touch-sensitive keys and we enjoy the sound of her playing. I don't know how long she'll continue her piano lessons, but I hope it's for a long, long time to come.SLEastlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656064035138968091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768304027092516457.post-72820359357034800562011-09-04T21:53:00.001-04:002011-09-04T21:53:00.727-04:00Busy bee meI know it seems like I let a time slip by without posting much. Summers are challenging because they are so busy. One of my projects has been renovating the guest/project room. It is a small bedroom and I needed a project room much more than we needed a guest bedroom so even though it took me two years to do it, I finally sold our super-comfy queen size bed that didn't fit in the room no matter how you tried to arrange it. And then I built two more to fit into the space (yes <i>two</i> more!)<br />
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This is the XL Full daybed I built with a Full-size trundle beneath it - two beds in a smaller space. I already love how the smaller beds have transformed the space in the room. I also made the drapes and pillows (after all this room is also my project room!)<br />
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The dresser is an antique yellow pine one that I fell in love with at an antique show in Boston and have had ever since. I wouldn't dream of painting it antique white to "match". I like the Bohemian look to this room.<br />
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Kevin helped by finally replacing the closet doors in this room. They had to be removed during the radiant floor-retrofitting, but that was two years ago... The quilt on my design board is the most recent one I've completed.<br />
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On the other side of the room is my somewhat organized, always in use, sewing space. I built this desk as a Christmas present to myself last December but it's been in use from the day the paint dried so I've never taken a photo of it. I custom-built it 2" lower than average so it suits my height perfectly (no more stretching my toes down like a child to reach the sewing machine pedal!)<br />
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I've tried to make the most of the space by adding shelving to store fat quarters, peg board to keep my sewing tools within reach and a fabric covered design bulletin board for my lists and ideas.<br />
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On the corner wall I painted a pair of thread-holding racks and mounted them to keep my thread with reach as well. The sewing desk is large enough to accommodate both my serger and my regular sewing machine at the same time and for large projects, I can pull the table away from the wall to let the fabric drape over the other side as I'm sewing. Forms follows function is the motto of this room.<br />
SLEastlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656064035138968091noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768304027092516457.post-53106077931522051772011-09-01T21:53:00.000-04:002011-09-01T21:53:11.907-04:00Laundry renovationWhen we first moved into this house, the laundry was in the basement, crowded in the mechanical room where we needed to put a whole house water filter and mini-furnace for the radiant floor. So we moved the washer and dryer upstairs, to a hallway in the master suite area. After the move, I really wanted to put cabinets up but there was a window, our <i>only</i> window for that area nearly flush with the wall and cabinets would have blocked half of it. I finally settled on open air shelving.<br />
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I'm glad I finally finished this project. I had cabinet-grade plywood ripped to 15.5" strips for wide shelves and painted them to match the trim in the room. The baskets on top (one is missing) hold little used items like candles and light bulbs (with the new energy-efficient bulbs, it seems we never have to change a bulb!) And the basket on bottom holds the things we use for doing laundry like stain removing mineral spirits, etc. Now it's easy to clean off the tops of the washer and dryer and they don't collect trinkets like rocks and acorns and coins from people's pockets.<br />
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I am still considering add a small ruffle curtain beneath the bottom shelf to hide the outlets but at the moment I kind of like the cold, utilitarianness of it. (Did I mention laundry is not my favorite chore?)<br />
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Utiliarianism, in architecture:<br />
<ol><li>The belief that the value of a feature is determined by its utility.</li>
<li>The aesthetic of exposing necessary materials and features, such as metal or heating pipes, which are normally included in a design for their utility rather than their aesthetic appeal.</li>
</ol>SLEastlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656064035138968091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768304027092516457.post-45682612657894510442011-07-30T18:05:00.000-04:002011-07-30T18:05:43.987-04:00Farmer's rewardOnce our garden is in full swing, we feel pretty stinking rich all the time. And why is that you wonder? Because every day is like eating at a fresh gourmet restaurant. A typical trip to the garden will yield all this, and more.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw_pOnxamXrE3vjyndLWqlELJOCZaS2jFayPist-tyJ4kdQ6MKhonoIweRcRRrKqvTuJTGu_HETIH8CrvXx_T59hngo7ZADYDQY2MYmDt3kP3JZyUVLJpkZ_V6Hoq-y0bq0WsZ01sc3ktr/s1600/July+2011+055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw_pOnxamXrE3vjyndLWqlELJOCZaS2jFayPist-tyJ4kdQ6MKhonoIweRcRRrKqvTuJTGu_HETIH8CrvXx_T59hngo7ZADYDQY2MYmDt3kP3JZyUVLJpkZ_V6Hoq-y0bq0WsZ01sc3ktr/s320/July+2011+055.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everything I could hold: a half pound of green beans, two zucchini, four eggplant, two cucumbers and two peppers.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>This year I smartened up about my herbs and overwintered some of them so they had a huge head start in the spring. Most of my overwintered herbs are the size of small hedges, so I hope to keep that up this year. I love being able to pluck some oregano, thyme or basil for whatever I'm cooking in the kitchen. The eggplant and cucumbers are ripening at a pace of 3-4 a day and we eat the cukes as fresh snacks they are so sweet.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB5jdmJyZnMYKhDSyHHPmHIj-whnUTkizFPhiV_8X-H4QQt-EWhKgh-wluUA42ZMC4HVbLWwgpXanViVw0pQG-_ov77gHwqqff2BWIyVi_o_jwWcyNUdWvN9UYSnWcTfQLgWEAFBX_myuW/s1600/July+2011+087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB5jdmJyZnMYKhDSyHHPmHIj-whnUTkizFPhiV_8X-H4QQt-EWhKgh-wluUA42ZMC4HVbLWwgpXanViVw0pQG-_ov77gHwqqff2BWIyVi_o_jwWcyNUdWvN9UYSnWcTfQLgWEAFBX_myuW/s320/July+2011+087.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Our tomatoes are only just beginning to ripen. These are an heirloom variety, Beam's yellow. They look like light bulbs and have a very sweet, mild flavor that makes them a good addition to everything from eggs to salsa. The pumpkin-shaped Brandywines are green on the vine, as are the Roma and cherry tomatoes. The carrot tops are tall and lush and since I didn't have the heart to properly thin them, I have been plucking baby carrots 2 to 4 inches deep from the rows each week to thin them out now (except now I get to eat them instead of just discarding the seedlings). We've come up with some great in season recipes this year that I'll share this week.SLEastlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656064035138968091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768304027092516457.post-41509794874216834742011-07-05T09:39:00.000-04:002011-07-05T09:39:59.081-04:00Baby fluff ballsOur fourth of July was special this year because we watched two chicks hatch. Words can't express the awe and cuteness of the experience, so we'll just share some pictures.<br />
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First it was strawberries and lettuces, now it's sugar snap peas, cucumbers, and the first eggplant and baby broccoli crowns.<br />
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"Sugar snap peas for breakfast?" you ask. Sure! And cucumbers too, although we juice them with a few apples and carrots for a refreshing healthy breakfast juice.<br />
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And of course, a bunch of eggs we collected yesterday.<br />
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With sauteed chives, garlic and baby broccoli. Mmmm. This is the richness of the gardener's breakfast. Of course, it also matters what we <i>didn't eat</i>.<br />
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Do you see the two little cracks on each of the eggs? We can't wait to meet our newest feathered family members. To me independence is all about having having secure, safe and sustainable food and energy (here's looking at almost 14 megawatt-hours of solar energy generated). Happy Independence Day!SLEastlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656064035138968091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768304027092516457.post-5202105264723160342011-07-03T23:53:00.000-04:002011-07-03T23:53:10.553-04:00Little farm miracleToday we had a lot going on as usual but after our walk Savannah spotted something new while collecting eggs. Our broody hen was off her nest and two of the eggs were cracked. After a bit of searching we found something sticking out from our broody girl's breast.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaXvbrRMSyrpt_Vp0I4H1I44O5IXUiawBoXf0CYQAXeXErCtWoy3YTq1HTGBVVvTngHN7T2ND6bfXfsBFA6ozUCfsUDPze8xiKP1bWMRBKpKmrl0brfOHEXX9mQGep9WqGWVWlKK2JcDE_/s1600/Baby+chick+day+July+3+2011+026smcr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaXvbrRMSyrpt_Vp0I4H1I44O5IXUiawBoXf0CYQAXeXErCtWoy3YTq1HTGBVVvTngHN7T2ND6bfXfsBFA6ozUCfsUDPze8xiKP1bWMRBKpKmrl0brfOHEXX9mQGep9WqGWVWlKK2JcDE_/s320/Baby+chick+day+July+3+2011+026smcr.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Can you see the sweet not yet one-day-old baby chick peeking out from beneath her mama's feathers? Here's another close up just in case.<br />
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Welcome baby! We are eager to see the colors of this one as it grows since it is half Buff Orpington and half Rhode Island Red. But this wasn't our only surprise. Then we discovered a second baby that had fallen outside of the coop, it was running around frightened and cold. As soon as we caught her and she felt our warmth, she quieted and fell asleep. We decided to bring her in the house to raise her in the brooder. That way we can be certain she will have food, water, warmth and will not fall out of the coop again. And, she'll imprint on us.<br />
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Even Aunt Megan got to hold our new baby fluff ball. But there was another surprise. William had been asking over and over for milk while I was preparing the brooder. When Kevin went to the fridge to get his milk, he heard peeping from inside the fridge! He brought out our bowl of freshly collected eggs and I quickly did the water test on them. Two of the eggs floated right to the top so we scooped them out. Aunt Megan heard the peeping from inside one of the eggs too. I made a little "nest" for the eggs inside the brooder where it was warmest and guess who wanted to snuggle with her sisters?<br />
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The first egg on the left already has a small crack in it from baby sister's egg tooth. Tomorrow we expect to have two baby fluff balls in our brooder and possibly a third if the last egg was also fertilized. For us, this is quite the miracle because our rooster Lucky (who is lucky to be alive in the first place) has half a brain and doesn't exactly know what he's doing when he mounts a chicken. We see <i>very</i> few fertilized eggs. Ever. So we thought our poor broody girl was nesting in vain. We left her alone though to do her thing with her clutch of eggs and now she's got one lovely chick to raise as her own and we have two or three to raise our way. Tonight or tomorrow we expect to see the miracle of hatching. And soon enough all the siblings will be together again, grazing the land with their mama and each other.SLEastlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656064035138968091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768304027092516457.post-88279202300016688532011-07-01T13:32:00.000-04:002011-07-01T13:32:14.415-04:00Bathroom display wallYou might be wondering why you haven't heard from me in so long. It's not for lack of news. We thought would have to move in July for Kevin's work so I've been working like a mad person to complete all the unfinished home renovation projects on our house. Of course, Kevin was "transferred" to a new position in the same town so we get to stay for another year - yay!<br />
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I've been working hard to renovate the master bathroom, which has a large wall space that is not easily accessible. To me that screams <i>display</i>. Using <a href="http://www.ana-white.com/">Ana White's simple plans</a> for <a href="http://www.ana-white.com/2010/10/ten-dollar-ledges.html">ten dollar display shelves</a>, I created a pair for the wall and painted them the same color as the vanity, which I've remodeled and the wrap-around built-in bench in the master bathroom. It's such a simple project, but I think they look great without cluttering the space too much. I wanted a subtle beach or shell-themed room since we take an annual vacation to the Gulf Coast of Florida and really love it. The only pictures on the wall are of us at the beach and shells that we've collected or purchased while in Hawaii or Florida. There's still plenty of blank space left to fill as we make new memories, although we've thought of adding a corked bottle with a secret message inside. I can't wait until the entire master bathroom is complete and I can show you the whole thing.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqXTcrx7YyUYjKz2rUqdnFCC1_zkdYf-Nd0nz1DW1MWjQWGh7H3Fhqxsq28vNgfgx3Wxk2drG6SHiamfqILiI2cWh-Ddf4DiPUZ83mZJK3YZHjpITWUtKY6t1PD_rVtS_Z5h4DkbR9CSDt/s1600/Birthday+and+home+renovation+June+2011+008sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqXTcrx7YyUYjKz2rUqdnFCC1_zkdYf-Nd0nz1DW1MWjQWGh7H3Fhqxsq28vNgfgx3Wxk2drG6SHiamfqILiI2cWh-Ddf4DiPUZ83mZJK3YZHjpITWUtKY6t1PD_rVtS_Z5h4DkbR9CSDt/s320/Birthday+and+home+renovation+June+2011+008sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>SLEastlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656064035138968091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768304027092516457.post-91610150006238062302011-06-03T13:57:00.000-04:002011-06-03T13:57:42.785-04:00Day on the farm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOj0q05Y6P7gdiSc_Hm1kMx4XmiTuJXSf2B0yPJdZ-BWBl_uRpzAyU0zcWL_k2s_vYkijf0L7JK-UwBVV5-_LEIRilsiMIbgCO3H3ozv7f3dm2p2oncz9zLsHfg92bbdm17ttKXA9SLkO-/s1600/Nature+stuff+June+2011+004sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOj0q05Y6P7gdiSc_Hm1kMx4XmiTuJXSf2B0yPJdZ-BWBl_uRpzAyU0zcWL_k2s_vYkijf0L7JK-UwBVV5-_LEIRilsiMIbgCO3H3ozv7f3dm2p2oncz9zLsHfg92bbdm17ttKXA9SLkO-/s320/Nature+stuff+June+2011+004sm.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>There's much going on everyday now in the garden, so I need lots of helpers. While I garden after dinner, I keep everyone else occupied to keep them nearby and out of trouble. My water-obsessed boy loves to water the asparagus bed. (Our mantra: Water plants, <i>not</i> people!)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipboxYm1EOqsBzcKRTWtDD2osuRD39Oi1DWLGYTLd2AdPeSsn12aIyIHf01vvPsEOU72hm3httQwIUmxlqpRNyhTNcuTvKrG7iH03TQMQRwvUTBHlrfX_CKtWQXpWGhh2vVC6mX8ZgDRJ4/s1600/Nature+stuff+June+2011+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipboxYm1EOqsBzcKRTWtDD2osuRD39Oi1DWLGYTLd2AdPeSsn12aIyIHf01vvPsEOU72hm3httQwIUmxlqpRNyhTNcuTvKrG7iH03TQMQRwvUTBHlrfX_CKtWQXpWGhh2vVC6mX8ZgDRJ4/s320/Nature+stuff+June+2011+008.JPG" width="279" /></a></div>The sugar snap peas have already grown up to the third level of my trellis, and are begging me to add levels four and five.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsXuAcItqTfeFcVrCuNwydu0T6bj_3sAe8y5urO8OX8Hdv5y1777vZ_bY9vRZaip41ZWXbZDSj-bHaVc8xqxhwFXwejxFGrfBskpB8OFYyOhtjrCNQSrm3jg-ziHZE4hMjbbvRDPFzLHoU/s1600/Nature+stuff+June+2011+010sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsXuAcItqTfeFcVrCuNwydu0T6bj_3sAe8y5urO8OX8Hdv5y1777vZ_bY9vRZaip41ZWXbZDSj-bHaVc8xqxhwFXwejxFGrfBskpB8OFYyOhtjrCNQSrm3jg-ziHZE4hMjbbvRDPFzLHoU/s320/Nature+stuff+June+2011+010sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>My solution to never having to weed the garden - weed cloth used in mounded up rows with straw around the perimeter. I roll up the weed cloth in the fall and re-use it for 3-4 years. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGAnY1NwZKJ8tPzIc8NH1YA9tgxiIqEUze1ujZlswLf1dKzyfNg3U4_ytM70xV_ypYUTWPZNOoRGjAObpxtCq4H_9YKqj2vPTA6L8cbuT6PTlcdJ3hNYFElRK4frYc48Dn8nR5Ne5fcQQ0/s1600/Nature+stuff+June+2011+019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGAnY1NwZKJ8tPzIc8NH1YA9tgxiIqEUze1ujZlswLf1dKzyfNg3U4_ytM70xV_ypYUTWPZNOoRGjAObpxtCq4H_9YKqj2vPTA6L8cbuT6PTlcdJ3hNYFElRK4frYc48Dn8nR5Ne5fcQQ0/s320/Nature+stuff+June+2011+019.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>We've already picked some fresh lettuces from the garden for our salads. <i>Nothing</i> beats tender fresh garden lettuces. This is a head of Ithaca.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf2NEhSWzIlrcM3_i7EzuZWRmoG0e1IOeMJAOZaOn02Xk6CRRomkSXd_Pm_jO069nczB1xbGM3c1QjgP4xcgujKOEZnehwyVkGM_nZCcx6l0Uy9GQSUVxBOdgjfnfF-OtvS1YbByaKzssU/s1600/Nature+stuff+June+2011+021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf2NEhSWzIlrcM3_i7EzuZWRmoG0e1IOeMJAOZaOn02Xk6CRRomkSXd_Pm_jO069nczB1xbGM3c1QjgP4xcgujKOEZnehwyVkGM_nZCcx6l0Uy9GQSUVxBOdgjfnfF-OtvS1YbByaKzssU/s320/Nature+stuff+June+2011+021.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> And an heirloom favorite from France, <i>merveille des saisons.</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2gEjsi_ivWhoxyaPnHo-WX_nvQQ13oAo7E7CH2dTfEKeKyGaLXrdJNLzxgBPCZfeQWZQB1hlWfXsn9ZaBC-HhUiZxvyAm64A8Fwa4i9MYUOlTrgK6QshK5cTvUc_Ru2Bg6ESE3hYg4jBi/s1600/Nature+stuff+June+2011+025sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2gEjsi_ivWhoxyaPnHo-WX_nvQQ13oAo7E7CH2dTfEKeKyGaLXrdJNLzxgBPCZfeQWZQB1hlWfXsn9ZaBC-HhUiZxvyAm64A8Fwa4i9MYUOlTrgK6QshK5cTvUc_Ru2Bg6ESE3hYg4jBi/s320/Nature+stuff+June+2011+025sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>My big girls helping out in the compost pile to turn the pile for me so it cooks more evenly. Thanks girls!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig4WGIZFFCYOVAAKaARn5iJ5jAyES69mxcDcyaEiQvyco3ut4KAG5G9TnIoOVVrKvXVo8Ea7jVuv-nFcKqWMJ0doehyphenhyphenxf70pNYy8kvsrpax1oUyWVygaKP_L90Oc-INmTv_TQ-lB7O9KE_/s1600/Nature+stuff+June+2011+026sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig4WGIZFFCYOVAAKaARn5iJ5jAyES69mxcDcyaEiQvyco3ut4KAG5G9TnIoOVVrKvXVo8Ea7jVuv-nFcKqWMJ0doehyphenhyphenxf70pNYy8kvsrpax1oUyWVygaKP_L90Oc-INmTv_TQ-lB7O9KE_/s320/Nature+stuff+June+2011+026sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Blueberries springing up on a bush that Kevin thought was dead. I guess my special compost mix and two years of TLC revived it. We used to get a few dozen blueberries from this bush, now there are hundreds and this is our smallest blueberry bush!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5N3yPGimQjcLM3MOXg4tl5XSE2MSJoKkRVIrGKH_NjN54hwmMQwSRDglwkxwQfCcwYU_GeqQIChinZP3Jmq7sAebBJWmQUqO6rc30HyzljOlIjTuLpFX-PEoatlj-CQH85ZgIEYcoPxQl/s1600/Nature+stuff+June+2011+033sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5N3yPGimQjcLM3MOXg4tl5XSE2MSJoKkRVIrGKH_NjN54hwmMQwSRDglwkxwQfCcwYU_GeqQIChinZP3Jmq7sAebBJWmQUqO6rc30HyzljOlIjTuLpFX-PEoatlj-CQH85ZgIEYcoPxQl/s320/Nature+stuff+June+2011+033sm.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>Savannah works her magic touch with the babies. Even the more high-strung Americaunas love her and jump into her lap in the evenings before bedtime when she's in the hammock. She can be found after dinner with two or more babies on her lap, nestling into her warmth and enjoying the snuggle.SLEastlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656064035138968091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768304027092516457.post-39392422980066190322011-05-22T00:14:00.000-04:002011-05-22T00:14:38.399-04:00Dirt and other miracles of natureEvery year I spend many back breaking hours adding composted horse manure, compost from our household, and composted chicken and wood manure to our garden. Today as I labored away, discouraged by the amount of clay and rock still in our garden, I wondered to myself, why I was doing this. I tilled in 100 pounds of sphagnum peat moss in one small row, meant to house carrots, while my boots got sucked down in the wet clay and my back ached from repeatedly lifting the dense clumps of dirt that clung to my pitchfork. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to see a great documentary this evening called, <i>Dirt! The Movie</i>, all about our relationship with the soil and its complicated diverse organisms that sustain us and all life on Earth. If you get the chance, I recommend this film, which grounded me and made the knots in my shoulder seem not quite so bad.<br />
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This week we had the opportunity to see all kinds of nature's curiosities such as the baby chipmunks running about, with their eyes still closed, completely unaware of our presence but somehow able to locate, open and eat nuts. How they can do this, when human infants are so helpless for so long, beats me. The chipmunk above was the size of a small mouse.<br />
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We were able to rescue this year-old red winged blackbird that had gotten tangled in a net. It had injured its wing trying to rip free of the netting so we housed it for the night so it could rest and watched it fly away the next morning, good as new. I learned first hand how formidable their beaks are and hope to never do battle with one.<br />
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Our lilacs, whose blossoms had remained pinched tightly shut until this week, seduced us with their intoxicating fragrance and we finally had to bring some clusters indoors to enjoy. The bees are drunk in love with the lilac bushes this week too, and I can't blame them. They're also busy pollinating our strawberries, which have begun to bear small green berries, teasing us with the promise of a bountiful crop sometime in June.SLEastlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656064035138968091noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768304027092516457.post-23663201056905497752011-05-01T23:13:00.000-04:002011-05-01T23:13:10.546-04:00William turns two<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjxgIT2RkPBiAu6AOlKnXqgrsHBB7OKrFlJQMxmNC-7ijiz-VR03T8noKGuQEM_tgA8VYyH30S8srH6HQWML_8Hu5TT2_4loUW7lsV5fFum95P0kab0AUY1D2TVEjdsKgC-7QEN26_Oeqp/s1600/Williams+2nd+Birthday+May+2011+088sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjxgIT2RkPBiAu6AOlKnXqgrsHBB7OKrFlJQMxmNC-7ijiz-VR03T8noKGuQEM_tgA8VYyH30S8srH6HQWML_8Hu5TT2_4loUW7lsV5fFum95P0kab0AUY1D2TVEjdsKgC-7QEN26_Oeqp/s320/Williams+2nd+Birthday+May+2011+088sm.jpg" width="286" /></a></div><br />
It's hard to believe that it's been two years since my little guy entered this world <a href="http://atlanticsong.blogspot.com/2009/05/everything-but-fireworks.html">with a bang</a>. Most of the time, he is a gentle and kind little boy, who likes to give hugs, say new words, play outside, snuggle with his baby chicks, and arrange and rearrange flowers. But he can also turn into the naughtiest little boy in a flash, running with wild abandon in any direction he pleases, even if that might be out of a store's automatic doors into the street or through a busy airport terminal or out the front door towards the woods in a diaper and bare feet, hardly noticing the prickles in his feet until he is caught.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">These extremes define my William's character - eager to make enormous messes, </div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yogurt schmogurt.</td></tr>
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but equally willing to do hard work that is not asked of him like unloading the clean dish washer or pushing the wheelbarrow full of manure even though the wheel keeps sinking through the mucky meadow.<br />
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For his birthday I made his favorite cake, that we call Fairy Tale cake, with layers of white chocolate pudding and white chocolate frosting and added his favorite thing to the top - an airplane.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMMymj6NS2PLLayj2eVVX1wcdvhwsXh36mguuivKxSLbF2MOb07G7QoNoyIWwk_SmAPKcalVaQQNqtAbGKMzdI9BTnNt2PEm2WSehLhKAU-CsoQeigI4k4HkkiJQ-dPuH_6X6veGEXZDyH/s1600/Williams+2nd+Birthday+May+2011+034sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMMymj6NS2PLLayj2eVVX1wcdvhwsXh36mguuivKxSLbF2MOb07G7QoNoyIWwk_SmAPKcalVaQQNqtAbGKMzdI9BTnNt2PEm2WSehLhKAU-CsoQeigI4k4HkkiJQ-dPuH_6X6veGEXZDyH/s320/Williams+2nd+Birthday+May+2011+034sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">I guess you could say he liked it.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWdaPKfCJIUYNoWECD8cmEq5pd1sGqUtOp5syNcxMswvZpSe1uxZllxfp6ZTZCnBHZ6ISJdyYi5cof33FXxEAM2vTge_0q1DtoAuKMho6jcJlZ-P0eufSHmsoSczwps3hYBxGiBNdEzjuO/s1600/Williams+2nd+Birthday+May+2011+041sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWdaPKfCJIUYNoWECD8cmEq5pd1sGqUtOp5syNcxMswvZpSe1uxZllxfp6ZTZCnBHZ6ISJdyYi5cof33FXxEAM2vTge_0q1DtoAuKMho6jcJlZ-P0eufSHmsoSczwps3hYBxGiBNdEzjuO/s320/Williams+2nd+Birthday+May+2011+041sm.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">I guess you could say, he <i>really</i> liked it.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">I try to keep the kids' birthdays simple for as long as possible, so we just celebrated with our immediate family and did all of William's favorite things, like eating pasta with homemade marinara sauce and edamame, catching tadpoles from the pond, a bike ride and walk down the road, a ride in the paddleboat, and playing with our new toys.</div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We catch dozens of tadpoles, newts, and fish in the pond.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>William is obsessed with water. He points it out whenever he sees it, and on our walks he must stop at each place there is a stream to admire the flowing water and perhaps toss in a pebble or two. With his boots on, there isn't a puddle he won't stomp in or drain with dozens of trips with his bucket. Before we child proofed the bathroom doors, it was not uncommon to find him standing on a stool at the sink, water running profusely, with his hands in the water.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">William's new airplane can go on land or water.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Airplanes and trains are his latest obsession. There's hardly a plane that goes by that he doesn't spot, no matter how tiny. It's a treat to take him to the airport viewing center to watch the planes take off. He feels disappointed by landings though and always wants to know when the airplanes are going to go up, up, up again.<br />
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William's favorite toy, was not his basketball hoop as I'd hoped (big sister seems to have taken over that). It is his bubble maker. He and "sis-sis" made bubbles for an hour with great delight after dinner.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyjcIQhHCVElaraNiQBLDdmDu90_lsQJlXhgoHOJVLEuvKFdnwxVpfivu7Iq8jdRgt-wM50e0-IiGuVCbzAsVpjCo2k39aWqCe5ltfWyCNqBYLkTTu72E1woPnblhDPeTKGrLPqv9ASLXE/s1600/Williams+2nd+Birthday+May+2011+065sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyjcIQhHCVElaraNiQBLDdmDu90_lsQJlXhgoHOJVLEuvKFdnwxVpfivu7Iq8jdRgt-wM50e0-IiGuVCbzAsVpjCo2k39aWqCe5ltfWyCNqBYLkTTu72E1woPnblhDPeTKGrLPqv9ASLXE/s320/Williams+2nd+Birthday+May+2011+065sm.jpg" width="209" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uh, oh! A hole in this bucket means no more carrying tadpoles around in it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>William wears his new "2" shirt from Mommy, with an airplane embroidered on one side and the number two on the other. The fabric is leftover Katie Jump Rope by Denyse Schmidt.<br />
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It's hard to believe that my baby's baby days have already passed us by but he's such a fun little person to have around, we love his big boy character and sense of humor. Next time you see him, challenge him to a funny face contest, I dare you!SLEastlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656064035138968091noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768304027092516457.post-24125348707925078202011-04-24T22:38:00.000-04:002011-04-24T22:38:57.122-04:00Images of Easter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr0vy0jIio4QDhexMnajMqjWAlpDlJECrYjr-pG3176uOJvjNVjvNFBm8K7-un8OTaVoY2NYV3Ay77OhnLJhYtw-qQXDss-OStNJ2Q_vAKTHXd_PjTKUgriIdlsbhjJY9FG1ZOX8IMa9xk/s1600/April+2011+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr0vy0jIio4QDhexMnajMqjWAlpDlJECrYjr-pG3176uOJvjNVjvNFBm8K7-un8OTaVoY2NYV3Ay77OhnLJhYtw-qQXDss-OStNJ2Q_vAKTHXd_PjTKUgriIdlsbhjJY9FG1ZOX8IMa9xk/s320/April+2011+009.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Wild chives from the yard</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0xSB21XwyUwWiLlnAz50jbQCGonQSh13iB-KRC1OVIBXnqBtcBxaVQ1i2e1SU7IQIMOaGd050hZZ7yaMdbVHdpYh6RSZE7dh8TPVWvlZ3ZgRq8wQvjvEazZyysJAmJk3mgiqLew0cwL85/s1600/April+2011+060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0xSB21XwyUwWiLlnAz50jbQCGonQSh13iB-KRC1OVIBXnqBtcBxaVQ1i2e1SU7IQIMOaGd050hZZ7yaMdbVHdpYh6RSZE7dh8TPVWvlZ3ZgRq8wQvjvEazZyysJAmJk3mgiqLew0cwL85/s320/April+2011+060.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">plus fresh eggs from the girls</div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Do6_09Pu7uMUY-mPUsRQAykblO7hh9hTA4rybJ96JqyKzymRovEwrrVTr49nAsqKilDOP9YK0pFgE2Zo2R8YqxV2hbFNiC7fJYGdrGfw9vE52sTEXc1-E8MsLulYT_wozV8rTV_f8IJ-/s1600/April+2011+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Do6_09Pu7uMUY-mPUsRQAykblO7hh9hTA4rybJ96JqyKzymRovEwrrVTr49nAsqKilDOP9YK0pFgE2Zo2R8YqxV2hbFNiC7fJYGdrGfw9vE52sTEXc1-E8MsLulYT_wozV8rTV_f8IJ-/s320/April+2011+008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> make fabulous scrambled eggs with chives and cheese</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsG5vD7Pm701-ZnRo79ZWmVAiLFkpMLHFDteI9aRq0yY-hn4MCvbJybbuDuX_p7GoKOFDSJYdYsPbKegIfEZ-mVajxC09M1COyH6GNbBwkiR5gGaKMFVl1_h0cfYHiVqN8ZjhpLnGBR3QK/s1600/April+2011+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsG5vD7Pm701-ZnRo79ZWmVAiLFkpMLHFDteI9aRq0yY-hn4MCvbJybbuDuX_p7GoKOFDSJYdYsPbKegIfEZ-mVajxC09M1COyH6GNbBwkiR5gGaKMFVl1_h0cfYHiVqN8ZjhpLnGBR3QK/s320/April+2011+006.JPG" width="262" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">plus a fresh loaf of Sara's vitamin E bread equals yum!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_vqKjvH62RH2gm4ouqHlRXHF8hBhOyh1-sl5czyyy-3qd0v9KC40KW9zGTLoKwKUx7WiPatZLK8MhioSQDDCyG94iiC9sJvVKt1f51DLwdNZ8o2PdfrBd6FPh3n0Ed0-ijWxi5LDJj-oF/s1600/April+2011+032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_vqKjvH62RH2gm4ouqHlRXHF8hBhOyh1-sl5czyyy-3qd0v9KC40KW9zGTLoKwKUx7WiPatZLK8MhioSQDDCyG94iiC9sJvVKt1f51DLwdNZ8o2PdfrBd6FPh3n0Ed0-ijWxi5LDJj-oF/s320/April+2011+032.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">William plays with his new knitted chick</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAy-Bb26QX-arHYkifHnsDWcwKXQkGro0kxvR1NseuAsRSqIIEqmMRPeE1xC_xeJdmqRqqEYGVEvAqoz4p5aw1z13KJK_7KLqqrmmi7GqlNMTo_ghlgaY4qLSp2Ges_Cd6tGoSU4iirHv5/s1600/April+2011+028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAy-Bb26QX-arHYkifHnsDWcwKXQkGro0kxvR1NseuAsRSqIIEqmMRPeE1xC_xeJdmqRqqEYGVEvAqoz4p5aw1z13KJK_7KLqqrmmi7GqlNMTo_ghlgaY4qLSp2Ges_Cd6tGoSU4iirHv5/s320/April+2011+028.JPG" width="148" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">while Savannah models her new "owl" attire.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgGDqMUe5Ruo8b4Gz1GZI4xrpqinyIkcQrpieLlo0_vmrXtPd9i8X_VIqrAOCMrpuj7mC4YDm_h9CKCxMX5ciA03-gTUwFkJRathvmA-4ovqEXa8U_ZDYBmgPxniwBkmq-Ew2guXD4zfXJ/s1600/April+2011+039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgGDqMUe5Ruo8b4Gz1GZI4xrpqinyIkcQrpieLlo0_vmrXtPd9i8X_VIqrAOCMrpuj7mC4YDm_h9CKCxMX5ciA03-gTUwFkJRathvmA-4ovqEXa8U_ZDYBmgPxniwBkmq-Ew2guXD4zfXJ/s320/April+2011+039.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">William finds some "eggies" for his basket</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoHc_cNK_10jxjpCxN_s3f5VaLRvH97sc3-ZDlGV8ryXcCiAha3jjNFgONls4fNI4Gmo08aed2Totj9QrUlkwaR7_ygLyGLxEedQg6mQ5R9BMLKTG4vLKkfjvcOjyWKz9Zpz86vADZ-S2W/s1600/April+2011+041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoHc_cNK_10jxjpCxN_s3f5VaLRvH97sc3-ZDlGV8ryXcCiAha3jjNFgONls4fNI4Gmo08aed2Totj9QrUlkwaR7_ygLyGLxEedQg6mQ5R9BMLKTG4vLKkfjvcOjyWKz9Zpz86vADZ-S2W/s320/April+2011+041.JPG" width="182" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Savannah fills her basket</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-4AO0cf_gomKd7FinQij7cqlSzWU-ltZ0zGc60WdtqpSx0JT8gYkBq13WKN4apKnYa-jTkCkTwMTTmFSIWnwI38It9sQ7QSFcqeXt7GlnscvX3EItqaEgg0E850SQvOkU2KGowFJuD4V/s1600/April+2011+017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-4AO0cf_gomKd7FinQij7cqlSzWU-ltZ0zGc60WdtqpSx0JT8gYkBq13WKN4apKnYa-jTkCkTwMTTmFSIWnwI38It9sQ7QSFcqeXt7GlnscvX3EItqaEgg0E850SQvOkU2KGowFJuD4V/s320/April+2011+017.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">We plant a new tree with five types of grafts</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBAj4ByhVp2dSQBiuTm1n-8gQ3n4NI9hLsytGJoIVuzzrfUDdaz8Riht8QEy0aVAONcwZamlcuiyahcFgQW0E0DaaCg7RzzjolQaJtRF064qoieANG8swxewmscYhBXhtiyINvCmLyS4Og/s1600/April+2011+022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBAj4ByhVp2dSQBiuTm1n-8gQ3n4NI9hLsytGJoIVuzzrfUDdaz8Riht8QEy0aVAONcwZamlcuiyahcFgQW0E0DaaCg7RzzjolQaJtRF064qoieANG8swxewmscYhBXhtiyINvCmLyS4Og/s320/April+2011+022.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">and some roses in a hedge.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhAFlgm3LCM-bRYb0zUD6ISusqpNANajylNOy9jTE4SqLSfmqkDnKHRt0MtOwTl9RTmXgoI-Lg0xvUF9zRzubMgCskIflcdjggjXR2H7JXn_ZNn7knVm5y54NpLikSDsb8rbKezcbJpgMi/s1600/April+2011+064sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhAFlgm3LCM-bRYb0zUD6ISusqpNANajylNOy9jTE4SqLSfmqkDnKHRt0MtOwTl9RTmXgoI-Lg0xvUF9zRzubMgCskIflcdjggjXR2H7JXn_ZNn7knVm5y54NpLikSDsb8rbKezcbJpgMi/s320/April+2011+064sm.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">And we goofed around a bit</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiat_W9sjrkTYYnZNabm_iNmFJlK4yDCamwzEi2TjDSo_-qJ8YvDAs939uRwJnxziAkG-M4Fz0wABPutLe1Z96TCzmgEhpuaTbE67gE8j4_DzL_WYpunUNElCcRfrgQuZ93V6ZOjWLwPs51/s1600/April+2011+073sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiat_W9sjrkTYYnZNabm_iNmFJlK4yDCamwzEi2TjDSo_-qJ8YvDAs939uRwJnxziAkG-M4Fz0wABPutLe1Z96TCzmgEhpuaTbE67gE8j4_DzL_WYpunUNElCcRfrgQuZ93V6ZOjWLwPs51/s320/April+2011+073sm.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">and a bit more...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioHobYvWaokR8lJhWfqJPdS6ouZ4a0UmmFeeAnrUaLRd1LQvmBEhd1sXJy41GXNOlFMG5T-IgJCN2UVdrSPLAHYr_RTtACEs9kubILNjBUhgVbaqRnQtb0drcZEzXe-VaWsLQqfHyvh5DJ/s1600/April+2011+072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioHobYvWaokR8lJhWfqJPdS6ouZ4a0UmmFeeAnrUaLRd1LQvmBEhd1sXJy41GXNOlFMG5T-IgJCN2UVdrSPLAHYr_RTtACEs9kubILNjBUhgVbaqRnQtb0drcZEzXe-VaWsLQqfHyvh5DJ/s320/April+2011+072.JPG" width="229" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">okay, maybe there was a lot of goofing around!</div>SLEastlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656064035138968091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768304027092516457.post-11356952830935934812011-04-17T11:10:00.000-04:002011-04-17T11:10:49.826-04:00Simple stair bookshelf<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR0d1ZXfp4Zsf6YbCOrzbh7HIhyVAb3Fb7voz6IuTtRKbw5KR1P_OOxddEEEmur3TREjnInhqv9eLQcIppv10Bi7yQg8Icl8ECej6dvPyEacNNlANYv0DMVsbaIxZq7pH20bXOZjJDWSoA/s1600/IMG_4584.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR0d1ZXfp4Zsf6YbCOrzbh7HIhyVAb3Fb7voz6IuTtRKbw5KR1P_OOxddEEEmur3TREjnInhqv9eLQcIppv10Bi7yQg8Icl8ECej6dvPyEacNNlANYv0DMVsbaIxZq7pH20bXOZjJDWSoA/s320/IMG_4584.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
We have particularly wide stairs with nice wide landings. I think they are perfect for more bookshelves, since it seems no matter how many books I donate to the library, we always need room for more.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiZZiups4PH4tgLKxnR_wc-JIJxpppoqzn14dUy02UVarB8T8PvWVKAEeM8cgfNILTjW3PqSDKDklJdBx3WsZgV0U43d_zVprocr-McR5ldinEJrbqjpWo2R9e0MhalYkMavHoWtBTLaHc/s1600/IMG_4582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiZZiups4PH4tgLKxnR_wc-JIJxpppoqzn14dUy02UVarB8T8PvWVKAEeM8cgfNILTjW3PqSDKDklJdBx3WsZgV0U43d_zVprocr-McR5ldinEJrbqjpWo2R9e0MhalYkMavHoWtBTLaHc/s320/IMG_4582.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><br />
Using a 1 x 12 pine board, I constructed this small bookshelf. It is very solid, even though I didn't use wood glue in addition to screws this time. I intended to back it, but like it so much plain, I'm going to live with it for a while before I decide whether or not to tack on a back. It's only 18" tall but it keeps with the openness of this contemporary house. I primed it and painted it with two coats of a muted sage green sample paint I had in my paint closet - one of the rejects for the upstairs bathroom. My intention for this book case was for it to hold reference books that everyone in the family uses, to get them out of the office and to place them closer to where we use them. The basket holds my <a href="http://www.motherearthnews.com/">Mother Earth News</a> magazines, which I read once cover to cover, then consult over and over again.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiYaUw_FaNj9M4n_pXh3HqWfb7v28KOHxu8XH65XGoL9siKUAiMJ2or0NkcsqaIUqvwVW8EntrfqYsylxI1gGTfO2w69D3DHVYZR5NG77My3I2s4UWUDNxwJp8KPBDc35HuFQ6odW-QKqn/s1600/IMG_4583.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiYaUw_FaNj9M4n_pXh3HqWfb7v28KOHxu8XH65XGoL9siKUAiMJ2or0NkcsqaIUqvwVW8EntrfqYsylxI1gGTfO2w69D3DHVYZR5NG77My3I2s4UWUDNxwJp8KPBDc35HuFQ6odW-QKqn/s320/IMG_4583.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I used the top to display some of Kevin's Air Force honors and USATF awards, which had been collecting dust in a corner, and our wedding ducks. In some Asian cultures, wedding ducks are given as a symbol of life long commitment, as ducks mate for life. They believe the spirit of the carver enters the ducks, which impart the carver's good fortunes on the married couple. The ducks symbolize peace, inseparableness, and many children. I sometimes forget they are supposed to be placed bill to bill, not tail to tail, which is a sign of a tiff.<br />
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This is the first time I primed my wood before painting it and I can't believe the difference - the paint went on so quickly and smoothly there's not a brush stroke on this piece. It looks much more professional than some of my other pieces. I guess I finally learned something.SLEastlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656064035138968091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768304027092516457.post-3615372553204557562011-04-12T14:00:00.000-04:002011-04-12T14:00:44.037-04:00Spring choresIt seems that as soon as the ground thaws, there's a long list of chores needing attention around here. Fortunately, with good weather over the weekend, I could get some odd jobs done outside while the kids played ball, chased the chickens, and climbed trees. I was able to build two of the three raised cedar beds I wanted for the garden this year. We are trying out some new gardening techniques with the crops we've had difficulty with in the past years - mainly because of critters eating them. Mine are constructed from 1 x 4 cedar lumber in 8 foot lengths because it's cheapest to build them with these materials and because 8 ft is the maximum length I can fit in the car. These beds are 2 x 6 feet and 11" high so they are easily portable. I used a cedar 2 x 4 for the corner supports.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDG8-m9V2f4Ev9fgyJOOfT5jj2qnJTBfVB1MYkGQhuhXF7CtSWMAUVQBMooxsEefo7x1lgWaP_PecZeQOh4pcev2hkpOsdzklpQwXDMcKM-lp9KdVXT8NiG0RotJ-Jze2NJwfKM38otlvO/s1600/IMG_4482.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDG8-m9V2f4Ev9fgyJOOfT5jj2qnJTBfVB1MYkGQhuhXF7CtSWMAUVQBMooxsEefo7x1lgWaP_PecZeQOh4pcev2hkpOsdzklpQwXDMcKM-lp9KdVXT8NiG0RotJ-Jze2NJwfKM38otlvO/s320/IMG_4482.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Of course, right after building these, I discovered <a href="http://www.sunset.com/garden/perfect-raised-bed-00400000039550/">another design</a> that I fell in love with. The main difference is simply that this raised bed plan anticipates critter problems so it includes covering the bottom with hardware cloth to prevent moles from digging through the bottom and uses PVC tubing to create hoops to drape bird cloth over the top keeping out birds and many insects as well. You could alternate using bird cloth with frost cloth to extend the growing season as well. In the above photo, you can see I've installed the PVC piping in one of the raised beds already. Unfortunately, I had to learn the hard way that you can't bend 1/2" PVC tubing across a 2-foot span - it's simply not flexible enough. So, I will be using traditional metal hoops for the cedar beds that fit inside the PVC instead. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjEDZK8IV58O876m4RzFoZvRN0Y1X8Eq0SSbBq5lJ6mauRbc7jR1DTvrgJuhbvbFxyMeHAWLBAvZucr09FH_uQuW2Auxic3WcY_ZX7UJggIgLamNHN1YWH1C5tMrXlxSJzznSGrfoa2CJ/s1600/garden+hoops+Apr+2011+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjEDZK8IV58O876m4RzFoZvRN0Y1X8Eq0SSbBq5lJ6mauRbc7jR1DTvrgJuhbvbFxyMeHAWLBAvZucr09FH_uQuW2Auxic3WcY_ZX7UJggIgLamNHN1YWH1C5tMrXlxSJzznSGrfoa2CJ/s320/garden+hoops+Apr+2011+014.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
I decided to adapt this hoop method to the strawberry fountain, which our chickens and the crows like to get into once the strawberries appear. I can't wait to fill the new raised beds with soil and compost and get started but we're not yet past our last frost date. At the moment I have the greenhouse filled with baby seedlings waiting to be transplanted. With the hoops over the tops of the new raised beds, I'm considering trying to keep them covered with frost cloth to protect them from frost and transplanting early, we'll see how brave I get. (The greenhouse is also filled with fluffy baby Buff Orpington chicks!) <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIP9mKE4yTFj0t28SyLE67AjGXH2SI4OQSf7L0E0Wiod4PzV-ffxxY7X8nr5r97Ny-8t2MZfOMcODv6Nf6KpqmYs8h4-4AQ71s_2-5VbCNcu0lE1yMiwb3dK9Rpyeta-z0lDcu3cCFAZsp/s1600/IMG_4526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIP9mKE4yTFj0t28SyLE67AjGXH2SI4OQSf7L0E0Wiod4PzV-ffxxY7X8nr5r97Ny-8t2MZfOMcODv6Nf6KpqmYs8h4-4AQ71s_2-5VbCNcu0lE1yMiwb3dK9Rpyeta-z0lDcu3cCFAZsp/s320/IMG_4526.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
After all the rain from last week, the ground was perfectly soft and soggy for digging holes for planting new blueberry bushes and raspberries this weekend. I set one new blueberry plant in digging a much larger hole and layering soil, straw, and chicken manure compost in the bottom of it. I always separate the root bundle and splay it out to help encourage the roots to grow deeper. I also planted three Heritage raspberry plants to expand our patch and replace some of the canes that didn't make it from last year. One of my favorite things about summer is taking the children to the garden to have their snack. They love picking the fresh raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, and blueberries for themselves. They pop cherry tomatoes in their mouths like candies and wonder why tomatoes from the store don't taste like these. They eat all the sugar snap peas so that they never make it to the house. This year, I'm expanding our sugar snap pea patch by four fold so some will <i>surely</i> make it to the house, I hope.SLEastlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656064035138968091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768304027092516457.post-63917826027009932182011-03-29T11:34:00.000-04:002011-03-29T11:34:46.319-04:00Long enough<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">We returned from our trip to Florida. We stayed just long enough to</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjev5wXu2L0EPIffJWCXLbeFoDFazroCQecjVnzftFqFjvBs6u3EB0ZVfY88lx60PwF947fuH-bNfbL1kAmZLHIvGJv4EGmjptELHtc4D67hcHczSH9_vdlx5S4uqxsUdHKsvkavLjFnbRF/s1600/Owl+hat+etc+March+2011+006sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjev5wXu2L0EPIffJWCXLbeFoDFazroCQecjVnzftFqFjvBs6u3EB0ZVfY88lx60PwF947fuH-bNfbL1kAmZLHIvGJv4EGmjptELHtc4D67hcHczSH9_vdlx5S4uqxsUdHKsvkavLjFnbRF/s320/Owl+hat+etc+March+2011+006sm.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">start a few fires,</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZE8A0yk0Ta-gqZU3Tzyqs28b4U4f-7OjkCzIqKuDB8sd99YXily_6pcQl3d55xYYq-Wmzl4yWR28xk0Uz-4j85RLB0PqdcjPz0R-zo6VyweYDMaYiC4h0oTTtkjqHBPAVY6OMBOICV2i4/s1600/Owl+hat+etc+March+2011+016sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZE8A0yk0Ta-gqZU3Tzyqs28b4U4f-7OjkCzIqKuDB8sd99YXily_6pcQl3d55xYYq-Wmzl4yWR28xk0Uz-4j85RLB0PqdcjPz0R-zo6VyweYDMaYiC4h0oTTtkjqHBPAVY6OMBOICV2i4/s320/Owl+hat+etc+March+2011+016sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">make friends with real pirates,</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs5mSs3o7xmYC-oeW2z2SGgO7swcrykhT0W4SP_XdoeKoGucPdQcp5Zi0VuHcjFV4LLGyps3uSiNEx-Wm1WqCvzlLW2AZfbeAHNOMojMKdh3H9jx8pMK6wI65Eg4BTbgVkMhSbC53oLdHM/s1600/IMG_3886sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs5mSs3o7xmYC-oeW2z2SGgO7swcrykhT0W4SP_XdoeKoGucPdQcp5Zi0VuHcjFV4LLGyps3uSiNEx-Wm1WqCvzlLW2AZfbeAHNOMojMKdh3H9jx8pMK6wI65Eg4BTbgVkMhSbC53oLdHM/s320/IMG_3886sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">bury a few treasures in the sand,</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMUhp-I-lJnR77C9rB2RUQUZAcicS8dvLa2TVJUWn_E8xkJiQtoz5h92PvsOJAnrph4q3sdy-bCeEjtaMdNXhKc-C9v2FklInIPFQgUNBzSEStAm5qhBzTkL3tACAiZecZeCGZ3T0U4i3T/s1600/IMG_3944sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMUhp-I-lJnR77C9rB2RUQUZAcicS8dvLa2TVJUWn_E8xkJiQtoz5h92PvsOJAnrph4q3sdy-bCeEjtaMdNXhKc-C9v2FklInIPFQgUNBzSEStAm5qhBzTkL3tACAiZecZeCGZ3T0U4i3T/s320/IMG_3944sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">pat the stingrays and feed them lunch,</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpVUGPxhWfuCniDCCVwsTZnROZm0FIklUpAxcOZZgaxdNVTmNjZje0FCARWQO2CEURecF6RlPZ1Aeqj0-wCWy_2AqQyrRvH7366qzy4puhF2NSLGCpFBFeJYSL-SzBGcwhWthyCnOKoOZo/s1600/IMG_3911sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpVUGPxhWfuCniDCCVwsTZnROZm0FIklUpAxcOZZgaxdNVTmNjZje0FCARWQO2CEURecF6RlPZ1Aeqj0-wCWy_2AqQyrRvH7366qzy4puhF2NSLGCpFBFeJYSL-SzBGcwhWthyCnOKoOZo/s320/IMG_3911sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">dance in the ocean until its waves knocked us down,</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXZAkwd7cCv-cGdINsSpu36WH5auCxHi1JQu4mQGHiIX4frV-lBX2Ten-anD5yp6pj1bq7dnhUakOvxBAXc-KJAQZPldBPdP8e5jDJbLsDY_05BlMt6SNtqR3aRSGnEyRxLEpIbiTgFST8/s1600/IMG_3965sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXZAkwd7cCv-cGdINsSpu36WH5auCxHi1JQu4mQGHiIX4frV-lBX2Ten-anD5yp6pj1bq7dnhUakOvxBAXc-KJAQZPldBPdP8e5jDJbLsDY_05BlMt6SNtqR3aRSGnEyRxLEpIbiTgFST8/s320/IMG_3965sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">see the dolphins in rehabilitation and captivity,</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYmJmOAKITYX_SQHtvQbk2_M6r0OVMjnN9q7RYB5BDOWA86bMj3snwak0ntD1KFs4fYrZCcsNgwj9Oj_Gwsiplfl6oqV93-bKV3HJUb1NnQXyYieFpFxEAXUgzyc7HIHPUEcs0QqpJQBST/s1600/IMG_4256sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYmJmOAKITYX_SQHtvQbk2_M6r0OVMjnN9q7RYB5BDOWA86bMj3snwak0ntD1KFs4fYrZCcsNgwj9Oj_Gwsiplfl6oqV93-bKV3HJUb1NnQXyYieFpFxEAXUgzyc7HIHPUEcs0QqpJQBST/s320/IMG_4256sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">and in the wild,</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib9CMtHiqqZxR5eIEK2Qyi_zi-Qaw68cuRu6gcmgWvbCXTxGu_BB6czBp3WJnQketWdn-J3JHdNaFFAKD_BwWSiMPkakz42Z1vMN_59HpmbmjObuKsmHK2Aqe6Yapdfxlpd6_a-PbrORiV/s1600/IMG_4029sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib9CMtHiqqZxR5eIEK2Qyi_zi-Qaw68cuRu6gcmgWvbCXTxGu_BB6czBp3WJnQketWdn-J3JHdNaFFAKD_BwWSiMPkakz42Z1vMN_59HpmbmjObuKsmHK2Aqe6Yapdfxlpd6_a-PbrORiV/s320/IMG_4029sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">nap,</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk_CdjGRbXJ6oHZhd6DTC36SVEYRUQJndvjtf3BCvhueYcY__-4h3UqesL1IvFCDa1CGSqF6Z5emQYAvG-jtu6EXPBW4uiwfdZRUCqeATRVffaN9MCGB95757UUXOogw5gU2nEYwkgGMPk/s1600/IMG_4016sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk_CdjGRbXJ6oHZhd6DTC36SVEYRUQJndvjtf3BCvhueYcY__-4h3UqesL1IvFCDa1CGSqF6Z5emQYAvG-jtu6EXPBW4uiwfdZRUCqeATRVffaN9MCGB95757UUXOogw5gU2nEYwkgGMPk/s320/IMG_4016sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">and play around with some technology,</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB9egDWxBCe1MyuD5XOLYvJBXQ2KVSp-WAuc-NFt_63dgQi80-Le5Riv1_A0esUJ0hEpZ11fvPvbl_Q0lzdcVFJt_LoXKxYWFOtp7MuGlrLtGLYZDfEz9RSYowoGtqZf8WEqtoJparUXaW/s1600/IMG_4248sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB9egDWxBCe1MyuD5XOLYvJBXQ2KVSp-WAuc-NFt_63dgQi80-Le5Riv1_A0esUJ0hEpZ11fvPvbl_Q0lzdcVFJt_LoXKxYWFOtp7MuGlrLtGLYZDfEz9RSYowoGtqZf8WEqtoJparUXaW/s320/IMG_4248sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">meet some other moms,</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim7YzUy4nNs0qTmpa3TXo1pbznaR17M7SoLA9m1ZJRN5BWGOlSaKJAtUM9v5nBrXC42sxfu8WzQj68OJYFTcRJYLKil2gcLINItlwjoMvM2VB_XNS7jK-cm0eiOGNmE47-p1aJpbwfJM0d/s1600/IMG_4087sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim7YzUy4nNs0qTmpa3TXo1pbznaR17M7SoLA9m1ZJRN5BWGOlSaKJAtUM9v5nBrXC42sxfu8WzQj68OJYFTcRJYLKil2gcLINItlwjoMvM2VB_XNS7jK-cm0eiOGNmE47-p1aJpbwfJM0d/s320/IMG_4087sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">sail on board a real pirate ship,</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGEGXrew1BMlAL-6jdTNvpQ-H52XeBZejAIXmwIoZw8MK9gruaEt2Q8BGBnQ2_ePr4zbAInojjAJdcvAyLwLMwg-zz7ziNpRegrxlo_c9Hj_VRACAG32Gw9gJ-1RlrBswmgiOriS5rAWwl/s1600/IMG_4089sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGEGXrew1BMlAL-6jdTNvpQ-H52XeBZejAIXmwIoZw8MK9gruaEt2Q8BGBnQ2_ePr4zbAInojjAJdcvAyLwLMwg-zz7ziNpRegrxlo_c9Hj_VRACAG32Gw9gJ-1RlrBswmgiOriS5rAWwl/s320/IMG_4089sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">learn how to fire pistols,</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJyxlpQtAsxwmmDTIgoNGImN83_jYZFaLmD08uEatUVygZpxENBGlG151kCL0XDynbCpe8Sik78imwHLd5YMlwjhfj-7lskyFqwYHawX3ilaPq6jp46hpjXSVIqYwgFGKwRpefhke3K085/s1600/IMG_4107sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJyxlpQtAsxwmmDTIgoNGImN83_jYZFaLmD08uEatUVygZpxENBGlG151kCL0XDynbCpe8Sik78imwHLd5YMlwjhfj-7lskyFqwYHawX3ilaPq6jp46hpjXSVIqYwgFGKwRpefhke3K085/s320/IMG_4107sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">and listen to pirate stories at sunset,</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKWOGW2VmVfhV2Wpp1e3I99HoxRMIZo3H0YNdWuClaOaBLt0X3DWb0Ui_4WPpQyQitV1m4Yp1do_waaVUmvINOVm13c8OG8N6mf4iCF9vzdGcfb3RnDYaFdfZRpAffkuIOrae0ZSuVlln1/s1600/IMG_4125sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKWOGW2VmVfhV2Wpp1e3I99HoxRMIZo3H0YNdWuClaOaBLt0X3DWb0Ui_4WPpQyQitV1m4Yp1do_waaVUmvINOVm13c8OG8N6mf4iCF9vzdGcfb3RnDYaFdfZRpAffkuIOrae0ZSuVlln1/s320/IMG_4125sm.jpg" width="283" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">become honorary pirates,</div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi59M9IjbnLg-yGtQq0AKtevbEG0WVNLaTmBNkGCtBEpKIABBzlznfPI9PCTL8RTO2G1vi4UX6g3kXIo0uHvl4TQlEYK1awNHhyphenhyphen_QRNCIcREtjU2ufYkb8X01CY79tqdiZKoCfiRkPrOTaV/s1600/IMG_4141sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi59M9IjbnLg-yGtQq0AKtevbEG0WVNLaTmBNkGCtBEpKIABBzlznfPI9PCTL8RTO2G1vi4UX6g3kXIo0uHvl4TQlEYK1awNHhyphenhyphen_QRNCIcREtjU2ufYkb8X01CY79tqdiZKoCfiRkPrOTaV/s320/IMG_4141sm.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> dance our buccaneer hearts out,</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvzCanQJB8nqBKFWMwLBIhpB3MDtCpWEg8RkYKwicgh6hdHjf_68kHjn-uV92B09FtdZmFSgMf8ixylXN1VUuaI-7BPmEoExbMLGaul5_tXHFhayeCPsmpLVAjDWS2-ZyzulI33c9bwDpt/s1600/IMG_4047sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvzCanQJB8nqBKFWMwLBIhpB3MDtCpWEg8RkYKwicgh6hdHjf_68kHjn-uV92B09FtdZmFSgMf8ixylXN1VUuaI-7BPmEoExbMLGaul5_tXHFhayeCPsmpLVAjDWS2-ZyzulI33c9bwDpt/s320/IMG_4047sm.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">climb to the top of the world,</div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj64IV8-P2NSWAbr1DUAvwsBFC_qqWU8niZcUqHLIPO8yVxOxaqFiNc9MHCe8Rd0cHEtvfcjx-I-8y5k6Di578d_XoByhyBuBredsqtNN89cidcx_zp2PJ7Sp8y1syUWXxWpccErYFRiwl/s1600/IMG_4281sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj64IV8-P2NSWAbr1DUAvwsBFC_qqWU8niZcUqHLIPO8yVxOxaqFiNc9MHCe8Rd0cHEtvfcjx-I-8y5k6Di578d_XoByhyBuBredsqtNN89cidcx_zp2PJ7Sp8y1syUWXxWpccErYFRiwl/s320/IMG_4281sm.jpg" width="219" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">bungee jump,</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Fdbqx0vfk0jBb_l5hW0qVH1lP3XdvTK51c-wXoKx6Y92xzgDT8KQi8qBQ_D5zRX-OzxEFS-4v4jj9j6gAS8Xud0b005J53YzWHNcj_-ctxn2SN4cLMycaZ7PbPAiXVcr1pYf9MwuiPAE/s1600/IMG_4283sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Fdbqx0vfk0jBb_l5hW0qVH1lP3XdvTK51c-wXoKx6Y92xzgDT8KQi8qBQ_D5zRX-OzxEFS-4v4jj9j6gAS8Xud0b005J53YzWHNcj_-ctxn2SN4cLMycaZ7PbPAiXVcr1pYf9MwuiPAE/s320/IMG_4283sm.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">and flip,</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ZYYYNczrqHv26RrbOd_FOCHct0z150-3vRCPBbtVgvwP0xw0aSCArm0XnEOdqWlpTcscam6MiCEw6KbllXzLog9VmwiubUZE0Ql-8D92St3CM465q9z3X5jvV8AfVTI1Ejos7_3QFIg8/s1600/IMG_4282sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ZYYYNczrqHv26RrbOd_FOCHct0z150-3vRCPBbtVgvwP0xw0aSCArm0XnEOdqWlpTcscam6MiCEw6KbllXzLog9VmwiubUZE0Ql-8D92St3CM465q9z3X5jvV8AfVTI1Ejos7_3QFIg8/s320/IMG_4282sm.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">and flip some more,</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAlOKm5As5gS9cn5VSuOpUE7UfqGK45cJ0utmVa9ythuG_6P2Q_6e8iLWsSecPCEq9cy0xTS8mhMJUyrPoBKMJYQRrVK_xusJEGZ66gtQFfWGGxM_DA3AoNgtM1o8aaoz14ejQJgS59ELd/s1600/IMG_4238sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAlOKm5As5gS9cn5VSuOpUE7UfqGK45cJ0utmVa9ythuG_6P2Q_6e8iLWsSecPCEq9cy0xTS8mhMJUyrPoBKMJYQRrVK_xusJEGZ66gtQFfWGGxM_DA3AoNgtM1o8aaoz14ejQJgS59ELd/s320/IMG_4238sm.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> hang out upside down to appease our monkey hearts,</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj744Uv7lu9qOdP7TmXJ_CYmdAxRg4EPESUfOAA0NopxlhcxCptIs8xnryVMXKk_dEJieBS-zEMoOVzPRa7Q62phsQaNwieV4PnFnEY0jTrUVg_Dsqh04tpMpYhyphenhyphenfVf8Z59UvydlKaJQDi-/s1600/IMG_4177sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj744Uv7lu9qOdP7TmXJ_CYmdAxRg4EPESUfOAA0NopxlhcxCptIs8xnryVMXKk_dEJieBS-zEMoOVzPRa7Q62phsQaNwieV4PnFnEY0jTrUVg_Dsqh04tpMpYhyphenhyphenfVf8Z59UvydlKaJQDi-/s320/IMG_4177sm.jpg" width="245" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">make new friends and dance a little, </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg1pE6B9aqQYANT7DtaWhRBFJ1mbq7rD6wlvx5gV08YUXc1Aoh8uPc2XjGtVg4WRYs9Ym9AHid5c-Pf7cDt_Gqb1JH0-8k9BvxTt4dgjccuKuyzCPlCBdvuCTJ-fJ10U_XcPLciWlGWf6f/s1600/IMG_4169sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg1pE6B9aqQYANT7DtaWhRBFJ1mbq7rD6wlvx5gV08YUXc1Aoh8uPc2XjGtVg4WRYs9Ym9AHid5c-Pf7cDt_Gqb1JH0-8k9BvxTt4dgjccuKuyzCPlCBdvuCTJ-fJ10U_XcPLciWlGWf6f/s320/IMG_4169sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;">unmake new friends!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitjTZ1r8QikpzaNhq_Fdiq7j4OHlIZSKCNC2m92qthbVXagS8ZLcj0mcZfXy4MY2ZTIydmRToAHPBI1HB4HJuwD-VBrLii185aOlcD8faRs46WlsOMvDg_3NisuUPP39IfKHQcuyCI_ZDr/s1600/IMG_4318sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitjTZ1r8QikpzaNhq_Fdiq7j4OHlIZSKCNC2m92qthbVXagS8ZLcj0mcZfXy4MY2ZTIydmRToAHPBI1HB4HJuwD-VBrLii185aOlcD8faRs46WlsOMvDg_3NisuUPP39IfKHQcuyCI_ZDr/s320/IMG_4318sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">learn how swimming pools work,</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsFKKpKXWPd4Taz94MODkQn8wRca4LqYRF0RXv483s2_QCKNKAeC30KhyphenhyphenunnZvgTkhb93NZIP8fiE4NnZtzpXzutOdSrH5OVFyp5ymbixNSD_eFpOLMjcjF_PuXJzV8_4YZPP6nc1c-t-6/s1600/IMG_4220sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsFKKpKXWPd4Taz94MODkQn8wRca4LqYRF0RXv483s2_QCKNKAeC30KhyphenhyphenunnZvgTkhb93NZIP8fiE4NnZtzpXzutOdSrH5OVFyp5ymbixNSD_eFpOLMjcjF_PuXJzV8_4YZPP6nc1c-t-6/s320/IMG_4220sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">and rearrange the fountains,</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcKRtyZgKXZ5iN0_fsm-o2foKxYVcGvzDt5dZ-waRtlTRIaHhxwNLaie2-TRMS9PK_RRe_e7fvpFZokwe0MKXKtkaFBO2FOO15UB2iwmk6f0WCrpH5LMWdjwnNAoK9MbC5RiCWrmbpFmoi/s1600/IMG_3990sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcKRtyZgKXZ5iN0_fsm-o2foKxYVcGvzDt5dZ-waRtlTRIaHhxwNLaie2-TRMS9PK_RRe_e7fvpFZokwe0MKXKtkaFBO2FOO15UB2iwmk6f0WCrpH5LMWdjwnNAoK9MbC5RiCWrmbpFmoi/s320/IMG_3990sm.jpg" width="306" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">collect sea shells,</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja0_oZAN0VHTVv37Xy6WLctEb34zcPRWQkIdXPXhLSLpXJ4307fAVm2FW-k_WGPCPIM6KhftHDJ-aKPG55-nINQ0c39CodADVCHcH7_iDhbwgZ4q5UpjjOjraFcwjtjvQuy4znrYIrkK0S/s1600/IMG_4322sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja0_oZAN0VHTVv37Xy6WLctEb34zcPRWQkIdXPXhLSLpXJ4307fAVm2FW-k_WGPCPIM6KhftHDJ-aKPG55-nINQ0c39CodADVCHcH7_iDhbwgZ4q5UpjjOjraFcwjtjvQuy4znrYIrkK0S/s320/IMG_4322sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">swim under the water,</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEcHMZnNPE1nxX_ttFIFq_sJLYmKDlmW70yGLJZ8X19l_ery7h0Hu-OLQ408tAsUL5bnWxtoIYby2jsuZhefY7_Rlnq38QNie5ronT3rLb_m3UEf149ph2G34gfeHLD1nM-vENdPLhDAcE/s1600/Owl+hat+etc+March+2011+023sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEcHMZnNPE1nxX_ttFIFq_sJLYmKDlmW70yGLJZ8X19l_ery7h0Hu-OLQ408tAsUL5bnWxtoIYby2jsuZhefY7_Rlnq38QNie5ronT3rLb_m3UEf149ph2G34gfeHLD1nM-vENdPLhDAcE/s320/Owl+hat+etc+March+2011+023sm.jpg" width="277" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">and pose for a late night family photo with the camera timer.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhekL2iAFIkbVCMV1fIRpFCxeB4oMdMTd42BPpFxPHXShkptoAnuovUbUhNBuWxSithfkLXOq3krJRSyimbpfvXf6maZpmX0DP3f2zlgo7Xb9vYDz6NahhjYMw655LZ7_gmIOa8tzUUd0_m/s1600/Owl+hat+etc+March+2011+002sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhekL2iAFIkbVCMV1fIRpFCxeB4oMdMTd42BPpFxPHXShkptoAnuovUbUhNBuWxSithfkLXOq3krJRSyimbpfvXf6maZpmX0DP3f2zlgo7Xb9vYDz6NahhjYMw655LZ7_gmIOa8tzUUd0_m/s320/Owl+hat+etc+March+2011+002sm.jpg" width="202" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">Until next year, bye Florida!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>SLEastlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656064035138968091noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768304027092516457.post-87988694593654184872011-03-11T12:08:00.000-05:002011-03-11T12:08:42.653-05:00Farmer geniusThere's a certain kind of genius that only experienced farmers possess. That genius has come from years of making mistakes, back-breaking work, and age; age that makes you work smarter because your body can no longer work harder.<br />
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After doing much research on chicken waterers, I discovered a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXW-4dHtPPs&feature=feedf">chicken farmer</a> who makes his own waterers and feeders for about 10 bucks each. They keep the water clean and full for about two weeks for a flock our size. So, I couldn't resist, I had to make my own because anything that makes my life easier, is a blessing.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJYpERt1rHNxNF4Fvp731IHIcX8kaC6ax5twgPnZxg92fWf2BCILvTxPhXoFWuBCy7GQgqHUhLELJL2SoQwyk2pf5URX4HLT4Xv0omiakY-Cjre1Ui1Drdp9Mkno-Kjcpk0WNBsXa7DsAi/s1600/chicken+waterers+mar+2011+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJYpERt1rHNxNF4Fvp731IHIcX8kaC6ax5twgPnZxg92fWf2BCILvTxPhXoFWuBCy7GQgqHUhLELJL2SoQwyk2pf5URX4HLT4Xv0omiakY-Cjre1Ui1Drdp9Mkno-Kjcpk0WNBsXa7DsAi/s320/chicken+waterers+mar+2011+020.JPG" width="273" /></a></div><br />
First I tipped my 5-gallon bucket upside down in the pan to mark the height of the side of the pan on the bucket. Then I turned it back over to drill 3/8" holes below this line (when turned over). I filled it up, tapped on the lid, and turned it over set outdoors for a few hours to be certain there was no leaking before introducing it to the coop. The girls are thrilled with their new watering system! Placed on a cinder block, they can't kick up their bedding into the water.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ezB2A1P1gtAbP5VjGcGmPJpkE-ccMY5p8kk8Flo6D2UYp2O-CZLa161y4JUrJ9plpdbQIp2thvDRDXj6hihZzlIc1w-_YOOPM3STCGqKrTn3Jst9TFz3aVSMc1maIZLwJHYwn_yMNYQ0/s1600/chicken+waterers+mar+2011+018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ezB2A1P1gtAbP5VjGcGmPJpkE-ccMY5p8kk8Flo6D2UYp2O-CZLa161y4JUrJ9plpdbQIp2thvDRDXj6hihZzlIc1w-_YOOPM3STCGqKrTn3Jst9TFz3aVSMc1maIZLwJHYwn_yMNYQ0/s320/chicken+waterers+mar+2011+018.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The feed bucket has 1 1/4" holes drilled around the base of the bucket (again below the side of the pan). I also drilled three 1/4" holes in the bucket and using screws, washers and nuts, bolted them together so it wouldn't tip or get pushed to the side. As the girls eat, their feed refills itself. I only wish I had done this sooner!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwvdOB1_mHaCsDLB1Sk7MSvOKQ-xlsgasKCWXBGgstsV_gSE57XUcTMyEqhuZXEfwb2OF4iXvLwHLF0DpHmMJpM5UshQP1syl0pua6f8M_rTNqFloYXUUVLXCEUEQlYKCly-MFxqVk_iko/s1600/chicken+waterers+mar+2011+017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwvdOB1_mHaCsDLB1Sk7MSvOKQ-xlsgasKCWXBGgstsV_gSE57XUcTMyEqhuZXEfwb2OF4iXvLwHLF0DpHmMJpM5UshQP1syl0pua6f8M_rTNqFloYXUUVLXCEUEQlYKCly-MFxqVk_iko/s320/chicken+waterers+mar+2011+017.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>SLEastlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656064035138968091noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768304027092516457.post-36844951147763927432011-02-25T23:03:00.000-05:002011-03-11T11:35:36.259-05:00IntoxicationThere are few things that are intoxicating to me in the middle of winter; but the smell of rich, dark soil, the texture of this moist earth crumbling through my fingers made fertile for seeds by <a href="http://atlanticsong.blogspot.com/2011/01/worm-houses.html">earth worm</a>s, the promise of hands that have been well worn by a day's honest work in the garden, nails clipped short and needing a good scrub in the sink, these things get me every time.<br />
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Sure, you could say that the above is just a romantic way of saying that I like the smell of dirt, the feel of worm poop and trading my dry, cracked winter hands for rough, calloused gardener's hands. But, if it weren't for the promise of spring, we'd all be going crazy this time of year, holed up in our warm homes while the ground stays frozen beyond our front doors and ice sprawls like a river down our walkways. The seed companies know this. They are happy to fill our mailboxes with bright, colorful catalogs, dotted with vibrant flowers and red tomatoes pregnant with juices, flavor and seeds. They aim to make us drool, to make us spend more money on what <i>could</i> be in our gardens (and tummies) in a few short months.<br />
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My new plans for the garden include introducing ollahs (oy-yahs) to some of my beds to see how well they work for me in my climate and to conserve water (and time). I plan to make my own ollahs following the techniques from <a href="http://www.closertothedirt.com/experimenting-with-ollas/">closer to the dirt</a>. I plan to build another <a href="http://atlanticsong.blogspot.com/2010/04/strawberry-fountains-forever.html">strawberry fountain</a> with everbearing strawberries to complement the three varieties we already have established (sparkle, early glow and sure crop) and to build at least two more raised beds for herbs, lettuces and an asparagus patch.<br />
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I'll be planting a hedge of balsam firs for privacy and a windbreak and expanding the raspberry and blackberry patches. We'll extend the highbush blueberries too. I've collected a few 5 gallon buckets to make various manure teas for my gardens indoors and out. I <i>may</i> even experiment with urine manure tea, which is supposed to be the best all-purpose manure tea for plants, according to research conducted by <a href="http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/liquid-fertilizers-zm0z11zhun.aspx">Woods End Laboratories in Mt. Vernon, Maine</a>. So much to plan for!SLEastlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656064035138968091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768304027092516457.post-6195513903051222502011-02-05T22:22:00.000-05:002011-02-05T22:22:47.292-05:00Play dough dreams of springEven though I expect more snow and ice, it feels like we've made it through the worst of winter and that the promise of spring is close at hand. During the winter, we don't clean the chicken coop like we do throughout the rest of the year. Instead, I add a weekly layer of sweet clean hay, golden straw or pine shavings to build up the organic mass in the coop. Besides keeping the chickens warmer, it creates excellent compost come spring time and to my nose smells sweet, pungent, and earthy, not unpleasant. I actually look forward to this gardening smell on my daily visits to the chicken coop to check on the girls. Our matriarch, Scarlet, has the first few white feathers peeking through on top of her auburn head, a testament to all the hawks and dogs she's dodged. All the chickens are more grateful of receiving pats and food scraps in winter to keep their days more interesting.<br />
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In the house our worms are hard at work creating their own compost. In the spring as they start to multiply, I plan to scoop handfuls of red wigglers into the raised beds to help ensure the success of those crops. The soil they live in smells rich and loamy and Savannah can't help but open the lids and dig around inside.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRYRz8-xQ2lfcKjq2xEVDSXWN-kKeWjCdxiAQpkS0Fdb8TnFG8rbNb2dqBQIyQFkeGW6xdggS6cm4S1wP7i-u5jW3vlUBcgZGxTVNWjoTgBvGsKKabhDmeg84-4SSAZMcXbh51TI4Xwk8g/s1600/play+dough+acrobats+Feb+5+2011+040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRYRz8-xQ2lfcKjq2xEVDSXWN-kKeWjCdxiAQpkS0Fdb8TnFG8rbNb2dqBQIyQFkeGW6xdggS6cm4S1wP7i-u5jW3vlUBcgZGxTVNWjoTgBvGsKKabhDmeg84-4SSAZMcXbh51TI4Xwk8g/s320/play+dough+acrobats+Feb+5+2011+040.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
We're growing our fourth batch of bulbs indoors; this time crocuses, spring's smallest but bravest and earliest bloomers. Seeing the delicate green buds everyday does wonders when there are snowbanks outside taller than I am. And to stave off the winter blues, we've been making play dough, something made pliable by the warmth of our hands and wanting to be stretched and molded into whatever we can imagine it to be.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Busy at play with a batch of homemade play dough. I use the oilcloth to spare my table from the rough housing.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDY-wJzVW9VKwleHzqYmH4QVDlSYQIx6Ug1oSdPMXpwwhZZOa7EifiC3g4cY6bT5qlj8KenoCxGc-zbgXvc2kfXguA5dgnvLtxvJhlTXIBcKRBawihjKMvEU_ZBCzsQbzP9tKYCqr0lJKe/s1600/play+dough+acrobats+Feb+5+2011+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDY-wJzVW9VKwleHzqYmH4QVDlSYQIx6Ug1oSdPMXpwwhZZOa7EifiC3g4cY6bT5qlj8KenoCxGc-zbgXvc2kfXguA5dgnvLtxvJhlTXIBcKRBawihjKMvEU_ZBCzsQbzP9tKYCqr0lJKe/s320/play+dough+acrobats+Feb+5+2011+005.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alligators and little girls.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-MnHOw9tmZDhMAE6jxuEZ9S_NjNO8e8XgaCgKJI9axUdGxA-kgS4WlpPpyunrtIDPliTB0XKkRJSrSefbapNl4spOFWKvODVGsBktrGYEFrqSeihaEvlqv9VF73Fv74B2R6IL7IvhGCkP/s1600/play+dough+acrobats+Feb+5+2011+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-MnHOw9tmZDhMAE6jxuEZ9S_NjNO8e8XgaCgKJI9axUdGxA-kgS4WlpPpyunrtIDPliTB0XKkRJSrSefbapNl4spOFWKvODVGsBktrGYEFrqSeihaEvlqv9VF73Fv74B2R6IL7IvhGCkP/s320/play+dough+acrobats+Feb+5+2011+009.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elephant-bat.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The play dough recipe that really works:<br />
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In a large bowl combine 1 1/2 cups water, and 3 Tb vegetable oil, (food coloring, if desired), (vanilla or other scented oil, if desired).<br />
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Add to it 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cups salt, 3 Tb cream of tartar and stir until the lumps are gone.<br />
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Bake in a 9x9 or 9x13 glass pan at 350 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes.<br />
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Remove from dish, when cool enough and knead. Store in a plastic lidded container or bag to keep it fresh for many weeks.SLEastlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656064035138968091noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768304027092516457.post-16847277554865429292011-02-01T18:56:00.000-05:002011-02-01T18:56:26.437-05:00Treadmill deskThere's a slow trend in offices across America, both corporate and home offices, towards increasing exercise during the work day. As a mother with a very stubborn eight pounds of baby fat to lose, naturally, I had to jump on this bandwagon. So, I built myself a treadmill desk.<br />
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It's very simple and fits around my treadmill, but didn't cost me the $500-$6,000 that some companies are charging for these. It is made from 2x3s for the legs, a pair of 2x2 cross supports, and some leftover 3/4" MDF for the desk top. I used my Kreg Jig to attached the legs and painted it black to help it blend in as much as possible with the existing treadmill.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIABUarPqF74EzHKiPxKi8SHcrjRom1Yf0kx5FgwcRMN-D1SyLQSjtuvQI-gy6b5m46R_QQnuLOwogHEUI7eNhN0FCzZCbIFOpwX-b3nj1T9-T5v2coPxKEL5U1es7eu6QAEyaNGJl4Lt3/s1600/Treadmill+desk+Feb+2011+005cr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIABUarPqF74EzHKiPxKi8SHcrjRom1Yf0kx5FgwcRMN-D1SyLQSjtuvQI-gy6b5m46R_QQnuLOwogHEUI7eNhN0FCzZCbIFOpwX-b3nj1T9-T5v2coPxKEL5U1es7eu6QAEyaNGJl4Lt3/s320/Treadmill+desk+Feb+2011+005cr.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check out my new office view!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The idea is that you walk 1-2 miles per hour while working on your computer. It's exercise that you wouldn't get otherwise and adds up over time. I'm <i>really</i> looking forward to using my new work station. The other freelancers I know who use one say it has increased their productivity while decreasing their butt size.<br />
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Search for "treadmill desk" and you'll find a wealth of information on the topic and the studies that have been conducted so far. To build your own, just keep in mind that it should clear your treadmill on all sides, rather than rest on the treadmill to avoid any vibration from the machine. Hope you build one this year too!SLEastlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656064035138968091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768304027092516457.post-74076793220420966162011-01-31T14:33:00.000-05:002011-01-31T14:33:03.001-05:00Popcorn for breakfastWilliam likes loud things. Our air popper is loud, ergo William likes it. It helps that he's crazy about popcorn and gets to throw nutritional yeast on by the fistful. But I was still surprised when he <i>insisted</i> on having it for breakfast. I offered him banana bread, which he loves and would more aptly be called banana cake. I offered him toast, with butter, and jam. I offered him cereal like big sister. With blueberries on top. Blueberries plain. No, it <i>had</i> to be popcorn. For breakfast.<br />
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So, we popped a big bowl together and he was so happy that he ate it by the fistful.<br />
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You didn't believe me about eating it by the fistful until you saw it for yourself, right? At least he also ate a big bowl of grapes with his big bowl of popcorn and washed it down with milk.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Hey, what can I say? I'm quite the guy!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>SLEastlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656064035138968091noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768304027092516457.post-8871140077076406722011-01-30T22:44:00.001-05:002011-01-30T22:47:02.477-05:00Worm housesLast night I read about a <a href="http://urbanhomestead.org/">farming family</a> and one of the many things they do to promote soil health is vermicomposting. I've considered getting worms many times before but kept putting it off until my littlest rascal is older. Today though, something clicked and I ordered my worms and we constructed our worm houses. As is often the case, it turned out to be a family affair.<br />
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Savannah learned how to use an electric drill with the impressive 1/2" drill bit. We drilled holes on the bottoms of two 12 gallon containers for aeration and drainage of any excess water. Excess water will be caught in a second container below, that is intact.<br />
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Ever wonder what happens to all those manuscripts I write and work on? If they are lucky enough to get printed, they end up shredded and in the spring get added to my compost pile. Kind of neat that my work feeds my garden too.<br />
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The paper will act as bedding for the red wigglers, a tiny but voracious worm, that will occupy their new digs when they arrive on Tuesday. The paper is kept moist for them and a bit of organic soil and food scraps are added daily.<br />
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My help gets a little exuberant with the worm bedding! At least there's an indoor gardening project we can do in the dead of winter that's fun.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think William is pretty proud of his indoor farming project! </td></tr>
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Here's one of the double set of bins (we made two sets of worm houses); the whole bin sits on the bottom, the bin with the 1/2" holes drilled into the bottom sits on top of it. There are also holes at the top for air circulation right beneath the lid. Eventually, we will place a third bin with holes drilled in it over this one for two weeks when it's time to use the worm castings. The worms crawl up through the holes in the bottom of the floor to the new food available in the top bin. Our worm houses were constructed with information from <a href="http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/20040801/Grube">this website</a> and our 2,000 red wiggler worms were ordered on sale <a href="http://www.unclejimswormfarm.com/">here</a>, a Pennsylvania company.<br />
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We made two sets of wiggler homes, and plan to house about a thousand in each. The first vericomposter is affectionately named the "Vermestate" and the second is the "Wormcome Inn". We're not the <i>only</i> ones who named their worm houses, right? Bring on the castings! I can't wait to use them in the garden.SLEastlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656064035138968091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768304027092516457.post-20354555055503405912011-01-29T16:42:00.002-05:002011-01-29T16:57:55.933-05:00Blue elephant's debutSavannah entered the Powder Puff Derby this year, an activity I had intended to be a daddy-daughter event, but since Daddy is in Chile and couldn't be in two places at once, it was more of a mother-daughter event. And then when I needed help with some wood working tools to countersink her weight on the bottom of the car, and Savannah used craft supplies to decorate it given to her by another neighbor, and William inspired the design, and another neighbor helped me entertain William during the race, it turned out to be more of a neighborhood-family event.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgLZEccxP1ipEphNX7daQKURprDw31NVm4aBRFs2DxO7iVbbee3DX9OuT0UHOL8BSHSbIOSQZdRtY0Y-LAMrzgzNnd1J1h0UQoHRRfXwBhdA18dVXD0BdpRwRtRxnE04ZlUxNtiuppA9iF/s1600/Sav+May+2010+Derby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgLZEccxP1ipEphNX7daQKURprDw31NVm4aBRFs2DxO7iVbbee3DX9OuT0UHOL8BSHSbIOSQZdRtY0Y-LAMrzgzNnd1J1h0UQoHRRfXwBhdA18dVXD0BdpRwRtRxnE04ZlUxNtiuppA9iF/s320/Sav+May+2010+Derby.jpg" width="191" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last year's photo with her pink race car and third place trophy. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>Anyway, Savannah's goal was to apply what she learned last year to try to beat her finish of bronze or third place in her age class. Because she's been sick, she designed her car just two days ago and finished it last night. She calls her car Blue Elephant. Honestly, I don't know where she comes up with these things.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5fmoom3kFvmFk_AFhCm6clqnuugREyf4SNmii6shYYTo7IeGZQeUuTA7vseBiJeFfDLyYDDhzls_USSG_6WhAgkMpSkbrZFAyd_MLa0rtbtpAaqFlLwJ5OhRqQls1SFE_nwUJQP3rYXal/s1600/Jan+Powder+Puff+Derby+029airbrushcr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5fmoom3kFvmFk_AFhCm6clqnuugREyf4SNmii6shYYTo7IeGZQeUuTA7vseBiJeFfDLyYDDhzls_USSG_6WhAgkMpSkbrZFAyd_MLa0rtbtpAaqFlLwJ5OhRqQls1SFE_nwUJQP3rYXal/s320/Jan+Powder+Puff+Derby+029airbrushcr.jpg" width="273" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Savannah still looks pallid and puffy since she's recovering from a viral illness.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Hopefully you can see the actual blue elephant on her car. It's from, I think, an old Alexander Henry fabric in my stash that she mod podged on over the watercolor markers that her art teacher gave her.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1Np7QMpm9cTc7nv5cFVR-AncUqCQRzqHGlgURPJ4FRvBaSJCfBnV8HxNHoKzKYLKjiXwna6bYduuHmEnmqh_WW2tx9xG245O3UeSM-b1XCtNWt57StxHFtmIxBsVgdjmdzPEcnqQNTq5/s1600/Jan+Powder+Puff+Derby+031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1Np7QMpm9cTc7nv5cFVR-AncUqCQRzqHGlgURPJ4FRvBaSJCfBnV8HxNHoKzKYLKjiXwna6bYduuHmEnmqh_WW2tx9xG245O3UeSM-b1XCtNWt57StxHFtmIxBsVgdjmdzPEcnqQNTq5/s320/Jan+Powder+Puff+Derby+031.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
At the race, Savannah sets her car in the starting block in the assigned lane. They are good about rotating lanes and averaging the times so it's more fair.<br />
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Here's Savannah's car in the first lane. On the side the lettering says "Blue Elephant".<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg20umfEmEagsFjTR48guihx_jEbMuHIbLYi2zF7bIIZvP8NGTRoaH3K023ExW-zy3wTONPDWDjPch-Y3Q_lbnBXbLMEYMHgFYu7TwO4ytYSahoZsubhwr28eZQVYiAz-nIXtjPLvy-bT3e/s1600/Jan+Powder+Puff+Derby+038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg20umfEmEagsFjTR48guihx_jEbMuHIbLYi2zF7bIIZvP8NGTRoaH3K023ExW-zy3wTONPDWDjPch-Y3Q_lbnBXbLMEYMHgFYu7TwO4ytYSahoZsubhwr28eZQVYiAz-nIXtjPLvy-bT3e/s320/Jan+Powder+Puff+Derby+038.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Guess who won first place in her class this year and got to progress to the overall finals? That's right, Miss Savannah and her Blue Elephant. In the finals round she came in seventh and had an axle problem that we hope to improve on for next year's derby. I wonder what design she'll come up with next year.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijwDMXFLc1U453mpwzwmQntFoeaa1Ac8jRuB6M0Xaav9i88iUWEziHnqQQfyBIsSY9SXCtTQKZ8Tzs6UwvYSmI3mfZGqIsvwtmjLVhyphenhyphenbwWwmcFnJvCievBQMflZJebR62gkzgz3KsdmlYo/s1600/Jan+Powder+Puff+Derby+040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijwDMXFLc1U453mpwzwmQntFoeaa1Ac8jRuB6M0Xaav9i88iUWEziHnqQQfyBIsSY9SXCtTQKZ8Tzs6UwvYSmI3mfZGqIsvwtmjLVhyphenhyphenbwWwmcFnJvCievBQMflZJebR62gkzgz3KsdmlYo/s320/Jan+Powder+Puff+Derby+040.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><br />
Our happy little Daisy with Blue Elephant and her first place trophy in front of the race track. Racing day is so much fun!SLEastlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656064035138968091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768304027092516457.post-73963617944477447422011-01-05T14:05:00.000-05:002011-01-05T14:05:18.272-05:00DiscoveriesOne of the best things to me about homeschooling is that when my child has a new interest, we can explore it fully. Savannah's latest obsession is building and learning about circuitry, so we've been doing it for three days.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2rO40by-H8hpRdtEAKaRj54ykpGg7pH_InZtz-V8XBVwno78MkCAoYvFqTSp6A9jBG8oJB_hFznv57Mp8NfYJgu5fiVQVPCbF_Va-6dKxLw5uq5m8vg3mXvp2W2yH6PNHuLBB5RfUjWLQ/s1600/January+2011+113sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2rO40by-H8hpRdtEAKaRj54ykpGg7pH_InZtz-V8XBVwno78MkCAoYvFqTSp6A9jBG8oJB_hFznv57Mp8NfYJgu5fiVQVPCbF_Va-6dKxLw5uq5m8vg3mXvp2W2yH6PNHuLBB5RfUjWLQ/s320/January+2011+113sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
As you can probably tell from the photo, it makes her <i>very</i> happy. Deliriously happy! Perhaps because it ties into her goal of learning how to build robots that wash the dishes and clean up after people so she can build them and make loads of money (<i>her</i> dream, <i>not </i>my dream for her).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ8GbSwh_JgR3GwIzM4anglDEWV_Uh-gFje4Xmftjb2t5CiosjjayuCT5DvVqbe2ipK71iCv57KyJSXEzo9Qrhd7q18bxo914LOuMhPSAGLaHFy_9jLhPcockJRFcv9HZ4Ch_vydX3YToX/s1600/January+2011+116sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ8GbSwh_JgR3GwIzM4anglDEWV_Uh-gFje4Xmftjb2t5CiosjjayuCT5DvVqbe2ipK71iCv57KyJSXEzo9Qrhd7q18bxo914LOuMhPSAGLaHFy_9jLhPcockJRFcv9HZ4Ch_vydX3YToX/s320/January+2011+116sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
So far she's built alarms, fans, lights and learned how light switches work. She's learned that metals that conduct electricity such as paperclips can be used to complete a circuit and that electricity can only pass in one direction through an LED. She's also learned the difference between building in parallel versus in a series. (By the way, I should mention here that I have also learned much of this as we go along.)<br />
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And that water also conducts electricity and can be used to complete a circuit. (Don't worry it was a safe setup.)<br />
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"Mom, just tell me, what happens when I put the wires in the water."<br />
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"If I told you, you wouldn't remember, but if you do the experiment yourself, you will never forget."<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVnvJMjq_M-4LcGxZgyhM6Wq3-oaE6F9AWbLCKOyJyGtAr65JF5WeeW844v3Go8NjdGRSlIa43zfBDE-5XQY65UqPPS28D1n-01OY0EftgmhiR26putKYLCstBMAVHnnQSmPdnyvGbuCoc/s1600/January+2011+120sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVnvJMjq_M-4LcGxZgyhM6Wq3-oaE6F9AWbLCKOyJyGtAr65JF5WeeW844v3Go8NjdGRSlIa43zfBDE-5XQY65UqPPS28D1n-01OY0EftgmhiR26putKYLCstBMAVHnnQSmPdnyvGbuCoc/s320/January+2011+120sm.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perhaps we have a budding scientist on our hands! </td></tr>
</tbody></table> With her eager assistant, William. William "helps" by clapping when her circuits work out as planned and to show her appreciation, Savannah often replaces the slide switch for the button switch so William can turn it off and on. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo5deW9T1DJSuIHbaaOlLPOwgT38seDyPB9dbftYdsdRpPlcYCt0Fhi1XgeANTGfk_no0FLXKl0r9Vetfl_ghKxwEaScnBEBZFlQKrgzVuETAynqkzHkmc25DDdopFmp-kKwfZVriX02i0/s1600/January+2011+115sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo5deW9T1DJSuIHbaaOlLPOwgT38seDyPB9dbftYdsdRpPlcYCt0Fhi1XgeANTGfk_no0FLXKl0r9Vetfl_ghKxwEaScnBEBZFlQKrgzVuETAynqkzHkmc25DDdopFmp-kKwfZVriX02i0/s320/January+2011+115sm.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Savannah has fun building a flying saucer (a fan blade that launches into the air).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>William made a few discoveries of his own. He found out that it may be easier to try on someone else's boots, if they have bigger feet, but that wearing one boot forward and one backward, doesn't make for easy walking.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ320iPchhn5vx1a0SFoH5tEufpFRvjrZPOyrTWbR9VCer4iAB_aeGsYO2vaA6eRm44eJ2m0laYlQqNdCvDqvYkkmCvrIqBe-KbhpDpRQz-yeXe4ZkMhQC06f3McENIrsbBBVKf-rbWR8j/s1600/January+2011+126sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ320iPchhn5vx1a0SFoH5tEufpFRvjrZPOyrTWbR9VCer4iAB_aeGsYO2vaA6eRm44eJ2m0laYlQqNdCvDqvYkkmCvrIqBe-KbhpDpRQz-yeXe4ZkMhQC06f3McENIrsbBBVKf-rbWR8j/s320/January+2011+126sm.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>He also discovered that while it may seem like a good idea to climb into the newspaper and kindling box, it may not be as easy to get out as it was to get in.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiobnMBPmTWuoHH7ONfwPmiiTELRVW0sSSuMINmIAIgxzV5ec8koYj3VfI95gqkInHzA91NXlbHZcebVwvDbVXyDHmYnBiRfkLlh87Iqrn2nWGlUp8tx_-eRamHfGfobf72WMr8ThHaWn4n/s1600/January+2011+128sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiobnMBPmTWuoHH7ONfwPmiiTELRVW0sSSuMINmIAIgxzV5ec8koYj3VfI95gqkInHzA91NXlbHZcebVwvDbVXyDHmYnBiRfkLlh87Iqrn2nWGlUp8tx_-eRamHfGfobf72WMr8ThHaWn4n/s320/January+2011+128sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I guess some people just have to learn things the hard way.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg038AbX1tr5rWQmo3Mg_FzKmNzXnv5xIim0WTqISzyT7sJYeFgnsWCWiepCzDlhaE4CWDLo8XrFe3NZJTaBfcyRu4O7fnV7YxRamIzSN5snEtH24dNY3aLpZc57_bqqQzlIwJ7lg5HaCfd/s1600/January+2011+129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg038AbX1tr5rWQmo3Mg_FzKmNzXnv5xIim0WTqISzyT7sJYeFgnsWCWiepCzDlhaE4CWDLo8XrFe3NZJTaBfcyRu4O7fnV7YxRamIzSN5snEtH24dNY3aLpZc57_bqqQzlIwJ7lg5HaCfd/s320/January+2011+129.JPG" width="212" /></a></div>SLEastlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656064035138968091noreply@blogger.com2