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I can’t resist. While processing pics for my upcoming stuffed birdie listings (up soon in my Etsy shop!) I came across a few more shots from around the farm lately that I need to share.
Our pretty HappyDog likes to help me garden. At least she wasn’t lying directly on top of anything I was growing on purpose. I don’t mind if she lies on the weeds, though. (check out the sweet railroad-spike sugar snap pea trellis my darling Johnnie made for me!)
And JaneCat just looks on, pretending not to know there’s work to be done. She’s really slacking on her mouse-terrifying duties lately. 
And this is a for real scene, nothing staged here. Turns out the goats actually like us (when we bring them food, that is)! This is from before we moved the chickens in with the goats. Apparently they have now taken to laying their eggs all over the place and in the goat barn. Oops. We’re going to have to work on the chicken-training, I guess. 
Things are growing! Tomato blossoms and even a few tiny green tomatoes, these plants were grown from seed by my green-thumb Mom!
Last week John moved the chicken coop in with the goats, so they can graze together safely within the fence. The only real predator we’ve seen around here lately (knock on wood!) happens to be our HappyDog. She looks innocent enough, but after a little, erm, “incident” we are keeping her a safe distance from the Chickens. Well, at least on this side of the fence. She loves watching them, though. And the goats are trying their best to get to the chicken food, which we seem to have managed to barricade from them, at least for the time being.
And look at this photo below! Seem familiar? Quite uncannily like my radish painting, I GREW this one from seed, along with a whole slew of others. And they are delicious! Amazing how those tiny tiny seeds can grow something that can nourish our bodies so well, eh?
I’m not broken, not torn, just pulled a muscle/tendon — a bad sprain and I’m actually up on my feet now and walking without a cane or crutches like I was for over a week. Amazing how a body can heal, eh? Thank you, body, you’re fantastic. I’m still gimping around like a peg-leg with an ace bandage and a bulky air cast on my ankle, but I’m doing ok. Phew.
I’m really hoping I’m about a jillion times better by this time next week, though, because that will be the first night of SQUAM Art Workshops!! Yippee! I’m so excited for this opportunity to check in with myself and my art, as well as connect with all those lovely like-minded individuals who have chosen to take this opportunity to live the arty dream for a few short days of art and trees and lake and fun. Living in the woods is fantastic, and visiting someone else’s woods and lake is sometimes even better. I’ll also be sharing my cabin and taking one workshop with my dear friend Sarah G., who will be meeting me there from Burlington, VT. How perfect?
No news on the DC trip. I am contemplating changing our trip to a later date, since I’m not so sure how well I’ll be able to walk around the city all day. My ankle tends to get all kinds of swollen and painful when I stand on it too long. But the good news is that I CAN stand on it, without excruciating pain.
The last weeks have also been jam-packed with crafty goodness, wherein I did my first outdoor craft fair at Sowa Open Market, (with amazing help from my friends and my wonderful husband!!) and my second at Pittsfield Third Thursday (with amazing help from the other BerkshireMade members!), and then a fun one in North Adams at the NoAMA Mill, where I was really able to get to know the members of BerkshireMade much better. What a great group of folks, who make amazing work. Have you seen the new website that I redesigned for BerkshireMade? You can click around and see all of their super shops. Buy local, buy handmade! See pics of these events on my flickr, here.
OH! Also, I just got myself a new lens for my camera! A 50mm portrait lens for my Nikon D40, great for low-light, but with a finicky manual focus that is super fun to take macro shots with. Most of those BerkshireMade pics were taken with it — some nice up close shots of the jewelry and art and bags and people. Here are a few of the pups, because, well, they are cute.
Top: Mickey, my mom’s Australian Shepherd, enjoys a chewy treat. Bottom: Our sweet (and somewhat alarmed?) HappyDog.
It is 1AM. I went to bed around 10:30 to snuggle up and read with John. It’s no secret around here that neither of us read much anymore, so this was a nice treat. We both used to be voracious readers, but we have fallen into the routine of not reading much, being too tired from jobs and life on this tiny farm or work on this old house or just life in general and wanting more to veg out with a good movie or some of our favorite tv-on-the-internet each evening. But tonight I got around to finishing a book, while John started one he was excited about, that he got for a steal on e-bay.
Then I tossed and turned for the last hour or two after turning out the light; my mind is too full of ideas and thoughts to sleep! (or maybe it was the two sweet-potato fudge brownies I ate at 9pm? Recipe from Body+Soul magazine — delish!)
The book I finished was Jenna Woginrich’s “Made from Scratch“, published by the Berkshires’ own Storey Publishing, based in North Adams, MA. I had the pleasure of meeting and hearing Jenna read from her book this winter at Northshire Books in Manchester, VT. It was fun hearing her stories of homesteading from scratch, alone in the wilds of Idaho, and she even played her fiddle for us. She is now farming and shepherding in Vermont. Her book is really great, chock full of insight, true stories of the not-so-fun aspects as well as true joys of raising plants, animals and bees. She also has a list of great resources in the back, to get anyone going on their homesteading adventure.
So, what does this have to do with my adventure/story/thoughts? Well… we have been raising these two old goats for almost a year, the four little chickens for about 8 months and our dog for almost 2 years (oh and our kitty for just over three years!). I feel like it’s been slow going around here, partly because we are not sure what we are doing, what our plan is for this farm (can we call it a homestead?) or even why we are doing it.
Jenna’s book reminds me that part of the reason we are doing it is self-reliance. That is much of the reason I also find myself forging a path of self-employment. It is really empowering to know that I can make a living creating artwork and craft from my imagination and people will buy it! John and I are both also very concerned with the state of the environment and the economy, and we are happy to do our part to lessen a little bit of the global warming trend, as well as cultivate a smaller, more sustainable economic future for our community and our family. I enjoy selling my work to people all over the world through Etsy, but I am also so very thrilled when I can provide for the needs of my friends, family and neighbors with my work!
Part of the reason our farm has been slow to grow is because our conditions are not optimal for any of the things we are trying to do. We live on the north slope of Beartown Mountain, in a dark, shady woodland area, with our very own gushing spring and eroding streams each spring. Our back yard is basically a cliff, if you ask me. It’s too steep even for sledding in the winter. It is not optimal for any kind of gardening and the dogs don’t even like to play in it because it wears them out too quickly. It’s s-t-e-e-p, and did I mention it’s pretty small, too?
So, I’m going to put my wish out into the universe, and see what comes back. It can’t hurt, can it? I don’t know what the solution is, but I do know that I wish that I had a place for goats and sheep to roam (even maybe one or two dairy cows?), a nice space for chickens to peck at veggie garden-pests (re: space for a veggie garden to be fenced-in and bountiful), and space for dogs (and someday children) to roam and play and explore and maybe even show-off agility-style with their own obstacle course (the dogs, not the children). I would also like a sun-filled studio space and a screened-in porch, but those might have to wait. I think the solution, rather than terracing our backyard and trying to will the sun to shine for a few more hours on our plot (possibly by also cutting down a few trees — perish the thought!) is to find a new place to live. John and I agreed that we would live in our house for 5 years and then look into moving; we have lived here for just over 3 years, so I think it’s ok if I start dreaming of, um, greener pastures, right? I’m not making any grand statements of intention just yet. Especially in, as they say, “these tough economic times” it’s really not smart to be looking to sell our house. The best solution I can imagine is finding a new place to buy and being able to keep this house as a rental property, which our economic situation does not allow for at this time — but maybe within the next two years?
Why am I telling you all of this? Well, mostly because it’s on my mind. It’s late and I’m not completely thinking straight. I am really interested in hearing your thoughts on self-reliance and cultivating community; how far should we go to reach these goals? How much time and energy are we willing to spend on our own land (or at our own sewing machines) as a trade-off for the convenient throw-away culture we are so used to? (and will you help us find our dream homestead, too?)
I like the feeling of excitement I have right now about all of these ideas. I know when the sun is shining and beating down 80 or 90 degrees on my face and the mosquitoes are swarming around my head I will beg for some shade and the comfort of a cozy bed on a cold winter night, but right now of course all I can do is dream about digging in and growing my own food. I guess the sewing machine will have to suffice for now.
If you’re interested in what I’m talking about here, these are some of the books that have led me to this thought process (many available for download as audio books and of course at your local library, though most have great recipes and resources that are great to have on hand for reference — not that you need more STUFF around, I sure know I don’t!):
Barbara Kingsolver, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
Bill Bryson, A Short History of Nearly Everything (also check out I’m a Stranger Here Myself, and, well, anything else he’s written)
Bill McKibben, Deep Economy (haven’t finished it yet — yes, I am reading about 10 books at once)
Jenna Woginrinch, Made From Scratch
Michael Bittman, Food Matters
Michael Pollan, In Defense of Food (haven’t finished it yet, but it’s great so far), The Ominvore’s Dilemma, The Botany of Desire
Mireille Guiliano, French Women Don’t Get Fat
Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin, Skinny Bitch
Ok, this photo is from a hike in the woods Saturday, and today was much more snow-ified and much less sunny around here. We got about 5 inches over the course of last night and this blustery day (reported to be 25mph winds). John and I enjoyed a lovely snow day hiking with the dogs (my mom’s dog Mickey has been staying with us) and watching movies most of the day (yay Netflix instant!), as well as savoring the bounty of our mini-farm with our favorite yard-fresh eggs for breakfast. I even managed to get some crafting in, which was much-needed. I’m stocking up for a craft sale this weekend at Simon’s Rock College in Great Barrington on Saturday (March 7), as part of the International Women’s Day Conference and The Berkshire Festival of Women in the Arts.
I’ve been offered this great opportunity as a helper, but I will be selling a few of my wares, along with my fantastic Aunt Theresa May-O’Brien’s fabulous felt pieces. I’ll be selling our work before and after the conference sessions, as well as at lunch time. See you there?
There are some new prints in my shop from a few recent watercolor silhouettes that I may or may not have painted in the middle of the night when I couldn’t sleep. Enjoy! (sorry, frames not included, though I’d be willing to make a deal…)
p.s. I also just created a page today for Laurie Coyle Designs on Facebook. I’m not sure you can see the link if you’re not a member of facebook, but here it is. It’s hard to ask people to do this, but would you be my fan? (um, and also, what are you doing not being on facebook? seriously, get with the times already! — but DON’t post anything you don’t want them to own. Tricksy facebook.)
oh, also, if you’d like to do yourself a favor today, please get yourself a copy of Robbie Schaefer’s album “Strange and Lovely World.” Do it now!
The grape hyacinths (or, er, whatever this bulb is) are in full force, filling our kitchen with a lovely springtime scent.
Outside, however, is a different story. This weekend we decided to brave the icy, tundra-like conditions of Berkshire County for an adventure with our HappyDog:
And then there’s my wishful-thinking sunset (or is a sunrise?), acting as a sort of sun-dance or sun salutation, basically just a wish for more hours (or minutes) of sunshine each day, more daylight, more Vitamin D, perhaps?
First of all, I want to say a huge, heartfelt thank you to everyone who has sent me and my family kind words and loving thoughts regarding my grandfather’s passing. It is so heartwarming to know you are all out there sending your love.
I am a little sad to have not been able to be at the funeral in Arizona yesterday. I wish I could have been there with my other family members as they remember and celebrate his life. I am staying put, however, because I am much more useful staying here. I have been helping my dad with his business bookkeeping (he’s not so much into the computer thing) that my mom usually does, as well as taking care of their slobbery (but cute!) dog and going over to feed the cats and plants at their house. I’m also excited to be helping get things ready around here for my Gramma to move back to the area! As I said in the last post, she has been living in Arizona for the past decade-plus. So she will return to her hometown for the first time in just about 10 years with my mom and her sister next week. We are all taking quite a bit of comfort in the fact that she will be so close to all of us and so many lovely souls will be able to go out and visit her so much more often.
In other news, we’re hunkering down for another crazy winter storm here tonight. The last one was so beautiful, coating the trees and every surface imaginable, including Mickey’s nose. He is 100% snow dog. Can’t get enough of it. He just goes outside and lays right down in the fuffiness. Adorable.
It’s a catchup day here on Willow Street. I’m pulling out all the piles of mail and such that I stowed away in the past week to create a semblance of calm and organization around the house. I’m also doing some shipping and maybe getting a new haircut. Still not sure what direction I want to go with that — John wants me to keep growing it out but most others I’ve asked (and I’m leaning toward) think I should go back to shorter… we’ll see what I decide at the last minute!
{ok, I just thought this photo was funny. Has nothing to do with anything. Jane is in a box of recycling, and Happy couldn’t take her eyes off her. Her herding instinct can be so funny!}
We had a wonderful Christmas time — I have to say this is one of my favorite times of year, for so many reasons including sparkly decorations, handmade gifties, my birthday, fun with family and, best of all, old friends coming home to visit! We had a lovely little holiday party with a crazy yankee gift swap, asking people to bring either a new gift, re-gift or object from their life that needed a new home. The best gift had to be a huge old coat rack that found a very happy new home. Hilarious! There were also some great mustache-related antics. Sorry guys, I just had to post these. Too funny!
And yes, in case you were wondering, I am now very, very old…
I’m still not sure what we’re doing for New Year’s Eve. Possibly just staying home and cozying up for some instant netflix movies and take out? Anyone want to join us? {did you know you can watch instant movies on netflix on a Mac now? We had cancelled our subscription last spring for lots of reasons but one being that we couldn’t watch them on my computer, which we hook up to the tv to watch tv-on-the internet. Looks like they just started letting macs have some of the fun, which was a fantastic suprise to us when we resubscribed last night as our x-mas gift to one-another. whoohoo!}
