Slowly but Surely

We make progress around here, it is tortoise speed type progress. Each step seems so slow and laborious, but when we look back over the years, particularly the years in this home, it is encouraging to see how many goals have been accomplished. We have a garden, an orchard, a goat herd and adequate housing for them, chickens and sufficient coops, guineas, a rabbit with hutches for more, new windows upstairs, nice and reliable vehicles, and we are getting more organized and more tidy. It all feels good. There is a lot more that we desire to accomplish, and small tasks filling up every day, but home is where our heart rests, and and our hands work, and our family grows. I am full of contentment and gratefulness.

(Not So) Simple Pleasures

In the process of counting my blessings there are so many things I may take for granted simply because I am so used to them that they hardly feel like blessings, and although I am not a huge history buff there are several fairly common things I am quite certain that I take for granted in light of the fact that even 100 years ago these things either did not really exist or were in very short supply, such as....

-toilet paper (where would we be without it?!!!)
-tissues (my personal ball and chain)
-paper products in general... (although paper work is not necessarily something I count among my blessings)
-clean sheets on a comfortable mattress without straw or bed bugs
-indoor plumbing
-water heater attached to indoor plumbing
-electricity
-double pane windows
-washer and dryer (again laundry isn't exactly a blessing I am counting, but it would be much, much worse if I had to wash it in the creek and dry it on the bushes!!)
-grocery stores that sell fresh fruit and vegetables year round
-automobiles
-paved roads
-telephones
-computers
-easy access to the medical community (although the medical community in general often makes me feel like we are the victims of a conspiracy theory, and I won't even get started on medical insurance companies!!!)
-freezers
-refrigerators (why is fridge spelled with a "d", but refrigerators isn't?)
-electric sewing machines
-the millions of easy access online stores and local stores that eliminate any need for at-home sewing (I do still like to sew, but I am glad that I don't have to make all the clothes for this family of 7 going on 8)
-disposable diapers (I am sorry for the negative impact on the environment, and I am delighted to see some more biodegradable choices starting to come out, I used cloth diapers for one week when I had three babies still in diapers... whew!)( I do actually love hanging clothes out on a clothesline, but glad I do not have to rely on it entirely)
-chain saws (it is an incredible amount of work heating a house with wood even with a chain saw, I can't even imagine how hard it would be on my man to stock up a winter's woodpile with nothing but hand saws and axes as tools)
-aluminum foil and plastic baggies ( when these things came out the housewives treasured their new found good fortune and would carefully wash, dry, and reuse these valuable commodities... many still do, they are part of the original recycling conscious generation, "waste not, want not")


I don't really know what life was like even just 100 years ago. I have enjoyed discussions with my 95 year old grandmother and her colorful depiction of her childhood is shared with obvious nostalgia, memories of pony rides and apple picking, dairy cows and canning, lots of close family, pleasure in work, extreme excitement at the sight of the first vehicle ever to drive by their home (driven by the mail man at a whopping 20 mph!), one room school houses and daily walks to and fro. The older generation enjoys and has become dependent on many of the conveniences we now take for granted, and I don't honestly know if I could survive the "once upon a time", or even if I would want to try. I am grateful to be living in the here and now, but I do want reflect on the past joys and historical accomplishments (Wonder who invented toilet paper and tissues?), and I want to learn from the many who have come and gone before us.

Autumn of the Soul

Sunshine through the maple is a bit too far for warmth
Golden leaves raining down must die to feed the earth
Each new little breeze catches yet another chill
Patches of ice and dust come and go on the window sill
Deep inside the mother, life is waiting for the spring
Songs of new beginnings must patiently wait to sing
Harvests brought much bounty to the kitchen and the heart
Piles of wood are waiting to heat the winter hearth
Why, oh why, Dear Journeyman, do your eyes hold a sad tale?
Has not every trial brought joy worth the travail?
Has not every autumn been followed by the spring?
Tho winter comes between and threatens life it seems
Grow weary not with coldness, find cheer in all that glows
Long not too long for futures, life has joy yet to bestow
In each gifted moment, in each waking day
The past should not dishearten it should cheer the clearer way

My Man

Beware, this might get mushy....I wouldn't have married him if I didn't love him bunches, but even still, it is no secret that marriage can be rough, and I won't fib, sometimes it can be challenging to see eye to eye, but after all these years I am still so in love. My man is wonderful, and he has awesome hobbies, and he loves me. Today he planted fruit trees in his orchard, and tended his bees together with Chester, and converted the stove to propane and worked on goat pens, and took the time to sit and visit with his mother and have sweet conversations with me. He is mine and sometimes I just feel like singing his praises. Our hearts are in the same place, and our goals are in the same direction. I love seeing how all our children resemble him so greatly and hope that they all grow up to be just like him. <3

The Twins Turn Eleven!!!!!

Go ahead and guess who is who :)

Happy Birthday to my wonderful girls!!! We are so very blessed to know you!!!

The twins were born with a lot of energy. So, it was especially fitting to enjoy the day with them in an active way... a birthday bike ride!!! The pics are mostly out of focus, a bit impressionist, but still cheerful :)


























Top to bottom:
Shiloh, Daddy, Avé,
Mommy, the kids and Daddy,
Destiny, Savannah, Chester

Like Father, Like Son

Happy Birthday, Chester!!!

A few months ago we were browsing through the Dadant catalog and saw this child's beekeeper suit. Chester expressed an enthusiastic desire to partake in his Daddy's hobby. I thought that was just the greatest idea, so for quite some time I planned on purchasing this outfit for Chester's birthday. Chester hadn't mentioned it again, and he really didn't seem to have his heart set on anything in particular in the way of birthday gifts. Yesterday I was poking around a little bit to see if he did have any expectations I wasn't aware of, and he said... so long as my birthday present has something to do with bugs I will love it!!! I sure was relieved!! This is a very buggy gift, and very bonding as well, and SWEET!!! Jason's honey extractor came the same day the child's beekeeper suit did, so hopefully they will soon be filling our home with the valuable and delicious liquid gold, which, by the way happens to be the only real food that does not spoil, or so I have read. I think we are all feeling very blessed in this household today!!! Thank YOU, Heavenly Father!!!

Birthday Blessings... Sweet Avé

Such sweet ways
From a caring heart
Teaching love
Right from the start
A harsh word
Rarely leaves your tongue
Though goals for you
Aren't always fun
The other children
Know you're kind
Help from you
They always find
My hope and prayer
For you, dear girl
Is that every trial
Becomes a pearl
And every tear
Makes a flower grow
Surely you will reap
All the love that you sow

They Said It

No honest poet can ever feel quite sure of the permanent value of what he has written: he may have wasted his time and messed up his life for nothing. T. S. Eliot

To a poet, silence is an acceptable response, even a flattering one. Sidonie Gabrielle Colette


Poetry is not an expression of the party line. It's that time of night, lying in bed, thinking what you really think, making the private world public, that's what the poet does. Allen Ginsburg


As soon as war is declared it will be impossible to hold the poets back. Rhyme is still the most effective drum. Jean Giraudoux


If poets were realistic, they wouldn't be poets. Peter Davison


Poets don't draw. They unravel their handwriting and then tie it up again, but differently. Jean Cocteau


Poets should ignore most criticism and get on with making poetry. Anne Stevenson

Still Time

All I really want to do
Is sit and read a book or two
Dream away the lovely day
With coffee and and a little play
Smell the flowers, pet the dog
Watch the creek, find a frog
Imagine shapes in fluffy clouds
Hear my children laugh out loud
Spread a blanket, feel the breeze
Spend a day in blissful ease
Write a poem, draw a cat
Surely this is where its at
Someday as I am old and bent
I'll wonder where my youth has went
All my babes will be so grown
With lives and children of their own
Today I think I'll seize the hour
No matter if there's sun or showers
So long as they are here and young
With lovely little tunes they hum
Special moments, daydreams are
For some it takes them very far
Up a mountain, down a cave
The famous and the very brave
Had a mother, had a thought
Had a vision and a plot
No harm in thinking, that's just me
That is why we're here and free
Give them room to know their mind
Though it is fleeting, there's still time.

Contented Sigh

Loving the season
Loving the life
Loving the man
That calls me his wife
The air all around us
Is sensing the change
The coming of autumn
A time for sweet gain
Assessing the harvest
Chopping the wood
Securing the windows
Storing the goods
Stacking the grasses
Making time for the books
Unpacking the sweaters
From their summertime nooks
Of blankets there's plenty
The wood stove we'll fill
Potatoes we'll dig
From the gardener's hill
Hang them in baskets
In the basement, just so
Enjoying the pleasures
When the coming of snow
Forces us indoors
At least for awhile
The efforts of this time
Will then make us smile.

Through the Eyes of My Children

The children use the camera from time to time. Here is a post about some of the pics they have taken lately. Not only am I impressed with the quality of some of their photographs, but I am fascinated at the shots they choose to take. These pictures were all taken at our home. Glimpses of life through the eyes of my children...



























I am not sure which child deserves credit for which photos. Avé, Destiny, and Savannah mostly take turns using the camera lately, but Chester and Shiloh will occasionally take a turn practicing photography as well. It is a lovely form of art, and can of course turn into a career someday if they so choose and are able to develop the necessary skills. Around here that qualifies as highly educational and a form of expression that I hope to continue to be able to encourage.


























The young photographers notice and appreciate the beauty of the simple things... the pile of winter wood, the clean dishes and the bowls of ripe tomatoes fresh from our own garden, the sweet goats and flowers, the blue sky full of fluffy white clouds, the forest of summertime. They also deserve credit for the sunflower picture I posted at the top of my blog. This is our life, but I so often focus on the things that need done, the endless "to do lists". I get discouraged. I forget to stop and really see what is important. We are so blessed. What a privilege to raise such pleasant people in a home nestled snugly in nature.

Less Petit Rats... Much Less

Little ballerina
Running through the walls
Chewing at the plaster
Nibbling in the halls
Peeking so discreetly
Staying in the lurk
Warnings come so loudly
I mean to do you hurt
Brother feels so fondly
Me, I hate your guts
I wouldn't mind you nearly
If you stayed in your own hut
With all your many offspring
And all your stolen goods
Hang your little children
From the nearest wood
And watch the owls and cats
Haunt my garden grave
You'll wish you were a bat
This coming rat dooms day

In Honor of You, Dear Jason.

Thoughts of yesterday bring nostalgia.
Tomorrows bring hope and dread.
As long as you're beside me,
"Today", is the nicest thing said.
Quite a few years behind us
Only unknowns ahead
Today I'll cherish the moments
All worries we will shed
As we listen to the rhythm
Of the heart we call our own
Thanking our kind Creator
For love and you and home.

The Stuff of Dreams

You would think that if you worked on something for twenty years that then began immediately improving the world for the better and continued to do so for all of known time to such an extent that it has been named by some as the single most important invention of modern man, you would think that you would become a hero and die wealthy. Not so, at least not for Johann Gutenberg. The printing press, what did it do for the world? Well, without it the average person was at the mercy of the rich and powerful to tell them about the truths that we now hold to be self evident. Religion, politics, and commerce were all controlled by those who had books. When books became more available to everyone the world became a "brighter" place. Thanks to Johann the "lights" started to come on everywhere.... I am pretty sure Edison read some books too :)

So, what is the stuff dreams are made of? What makes a person press on in spite of extreme obstacles, like no money or time or encouragement? For some there is even the threat of death if they continue to press on. I think, for those who are only seeking personal gain their dreams will probably not extend much farther than themselves, but for those looking to make the world a better place, their dreams may likely become the reality that the rest of world takes for granted as commonplace. Once upon a time, not so long ago, and not so far away, the common thought was that the universe revolves around the earth. Nicolaus Copernicus proved otherwise, but sometimes I think there are people that still believe they are the center of it all.

By the way we started our "structured" book work type schedule today... I was obviously inspired by the book we read together... "Breaking Into Print" by Stephen Krensky

When You're Right

It is nice to be right.

Although.... it can get you into trouble. People don't like people who are right more often then they are. People don't like people who say..."I told you so". People don't like people that make them feel wrong, or less than, or stupid. So, if you happen to be right, especially if you happen to be right kind of often... it may be best to be humble about it, or at least to develop of strong sense of humor. You are going to need one.

Note to self: You have a lot to learn, don't be afraid to make mistakes.

Feeling Better

What happens some days? We are walking along, minding our own business, and WHAM! Life clobbers us for seemingly no good reason? Thus has been my experience through the years, and what I have learned is that kindness matters. A kind word from a friend, a hug from my spouse, a thoughtful note, they make all the difference, and the opposite is true. If someone is insensitive enough to kick us when we are down the damage can be so much worse at that time and the relationship repercussions can be practically irreparable. So thanks, to the ones that are thoughtful, and beware to the callous crowds. There are a lot of other people out there having a down day once in awhile, and sometimes more often then that. Watch out, you wouldn't want to tick off the wrong one. I am small potatoes compared to many.

A Bite of Life

Waiting for a letter that won't ever come.
Waiting for a job that will never be done.
Waiting for life to become what its not.
Waiting for a little to feel like a lot.
Waiting for death to sweeten its hue.
Waiting for dreams to become what is true.
Waiting for old age to turn back the time.
Waiting for a dollar to grow from a dime.

Hate not the bee.
Though honey lessens not the sting.
Hate not the see.
Though lies sweeten not the thing.
Hate not the work.
Though it means nothing.
Hate not the the day.
Though it refuse to sing.
Hate not the way.
Though it gathers no more wings.
Hate not the hurt.
Though it strengthen not anything.

Trying to tell the dog to not itch the fleas.
Trying to tell the garden to not grow the weeds.
Trying to tell the kids to not track in the dirt.
Trying to tell the heart to forget all the hurt.
Trying to tell the mind to accept what is dumb.
Trying to tell the bookworm, go out and have fun.
Trying to tell the tears, its not worth the fall.
Trying to tell the fears, don't worry, that's all.

120 or so...

120+! That is about how many critters we are caring for these days! We have 6 Nubian goats, 6 rabbits, 10 Cochin hens, 15 Cochin peeps, 5 Plymouth Rock peeps, 20 Guinea fowl peeps, 7 adult guinea fowl, 12 Ducks, 5 cats, 1 Yorkie, 1 parakeet, 1 Red-Eared Slider Turtle, 4 Goldfish, 2 frogs, 1 snail, 2 catfish, and at least 20 Fancy Guppies! I am thinking about starting to charge admission to the Pfleegor petting zoo! I really don't want this many animals, and we will be downsizing for winter here very, very soon, hopefully.

We didn't actually try very hard to have this many animals. They are just very prolific.... the bunnies were 2 before they were 6. The ducks were 2 before they were 14. The Guinea fowl were 7 before they were 27. The Guppies were 4 before they were 20+. And the Goldfish.... they were feeder Goldfish that we bought to "feed" the turtle. He decided he preferred their company :) I guess I can't complain about the lack of predators or having a turtle that has decided to be a vegetarian. I did actually buy the Cochin peeps. I wanted a rooster since we lost ours over the winter, but I didn't know where to get a Cochin rooster, so I had to mail order 15 peeps, since that is the minimum purchase. The hatchery added 5 Plymouth Rock peeps, as a bonus? Since I am not an expert at telling boy birds from girl birds we need wait awhile until it is more obvious. Then we will keep a few and share a few. God is good. And there is a livestock auction.......


postscript: That count is kinda low... I forgot to add the 10,000 or so Honey Bees!

Oh, Distracted Bean Snapper

Oh, distracted bean snapper
Where are your thoughts today?
Ends in the waste, beans in the pot
Not the other way
Come the months of winter
When wishing for a stew
All you'll have is wanting
If this job you do not do

Stages

Birth to 5.... foundation
6-12..... character
12-21...... experience
22-40....... practice and support
41-60....... investing
60- eternity.... legacy

In my humble opinion these are the stages of life.

Foundation~
Babies and toddlers absorb the world around them like no other stage of life ever. Breast fed babies are scientifically proven to have fewer allergies, fewer ear infections, less likelihood of obesity later in life, as well as the advantages of the mother's immunities and a strong bonding. A person can make it through life, and even thrive no matter what the first five years of that persons life were like, but language, health, and emotional stability hinge strongly on the first five years.

Character~
In my humble opinion the next stage develops the strongest character for better or worse. The person we are or become during this phase is the character we will continually lean on throughout the rest of our lives. We all have natural tendencies, but how we allow ourselves to give in to weaknesses or encourage strengths becomes evident and the cement hardens, so to speak, in this phase. We take that character on to the next phase and make of it what we will....

Experience~
How we treat others, how they treat us, people person or book worm, mall fly or computer nerd. The first job, the first kiss, driving, our first taste of independence, college or hard knocks......

Practice and Support~
We take those experiences and put our choices to work for us as adults with responsibilities, families, careers, dreams...... it really helps if there is a lot of support during this time, from community, family, friends, but it is possible to get by without it. Support allows more room for breathing, and laughing, and loving. Practice, practice, practice.... will it ever make perfect?

Investing~
Not likely to make perfect, but if we played our cards right, and if there was a little luck smiling in our direction, then at this phase there should be a nest egg incubating, a home mortgage somewhere in the processes, a bit of earth to call our own, or a shingle on the door. So that hopefully by the time our knees give out on us we will be able to rest... to retire.

Legacy~
Retire to what? That is the legacy. Who are we? What has the sum of our life added up to? Are we lonely or loved? Wealthy or fearful of how to pay for the next doctor bill? Are there grandchildren or pets or hobbies or vacation homes or books to write or stories to tell? Where will we end up, who will remember, who will care?

IMHO anyway......