Real Life Solutions

Does anyone else have the issue of how to deal with trash, recycling, and returnables? Well we sure do. Most importantly, these bins need to be within easy reach. Otherwise there are cans on the counter, recyclables in the trash, and a twitching Reenie. 
Although I want one of these:
http://ana-white.com/2010/01/plans-recycling-center-pottery-barn.html

Here’s what is working at the Homestead right now:

It is as simple as having two small mesh garbage cans next to the big garbage under the kitchen counter. This depends on having a bigger recycle bin in the garage to dump the small can into when it overflows (and often there’s the small can plus the paper bag with the overflow next to it). Nonetheless, this is our simple, unglamorous solution to a simple, unglamorous issue (trash). 
There you have it: my Real Life Solution of the day.

Dirt as therapy

I like it when science proves what I already know: Dirt is good for you. Today is a good therapy day. I slept in late. Drank coffee and unloaded the dishwasher. And have spent a couple hours outside in the garden. Lots of work left, but I've got the front beds cleared of leaves, debris, and a bunch of grass poking up. Everything is poking out of the dirt- even the stuff that is usually much later in the season. I suppose everything is thrilled with this 70 degree weather and just assumes it is time. Sigh of contentment. I LOVE SPRING!!

Today the first of my hyacinths are blooming and the forsythia is beginning to bloom. I LOVE IT! The crocuses have been blooming for a couple weeks now and continue. The tulips and daffodils are tall but not in bloom yet. All of the bushes have buds growing. I love spring! It makes me feel so alive!

On another note, the neighbors... the girl across the street (there are two little girls who used to just keep to themselves but now that Elijah is around, they spend a lot of time together and more time in the street than they used to). Anyway, the girl who looks to be around 8 asked if she could shoot hoops on my basketball hoop. Of course, no problem. Moments later Elijah was over as well. And then dad yelling to Elijah (across me basically since I was in my front flower bed) to see if he had asked to use it and to not hit my car. Eye roll. Then there was some altercation I was trying to ignore that resulted in a lot of yelling in the house- dad at Elijah. Then a kid from a few blocks over came by to ask if Elijah could go to the park-no. Then more yelling at Elijah. Sigh. People, your windows and doors are open, the whole neighborhood doesn't need to hear it. And the lady on her hands and knees in the garden was really hoping for some peace and quiet while digging in the dirt!

Still waiting for me- the dreaded winter clean up of the backyard. Not my favorite task, but it must happen. And if I do that today, tomorrow I can plant lettuce and spinach (sabbath appropriate tasks-- no matter how you slice it, I can't justify dog clean up as not work).

Also, a previous coworker of mine stopped in yesterday to drop off some stuff. He has a dozen 4' Rose of Sharon bushes that keep cropping up in his yard and I had mentioned that I want a hedge between my vegetable garden and my dear neighbors. So he offered to have me come pick them up in the next week or two! Imagine that! A nice 4' hedge of Rose of Sharon bushes hiding my garden from the world and giving me at least some semblance of privacy for my therapy haven. I may also see if I can scavenge some forsythia shoots from people so I can intersperse them.

Last but not least, my brother Brendan gave me a chicken kit for Christmas -- feeders, an egg holder, a gift card to buy the supplies and chicks, and the promise of a Saturday when he'd come over with Geno (and their tools) and we'd get my old craigslist coop into working order. I'm kind of excited and kind of wondering if I am insane for even considering a couple backyard chickens... it is probably insane... stay tuned. This may indeed be the year for Operation Chicken at the Nichols Homestead.

Happy St. Patrick's day friends! And Happy Spring!

Glimpses of Spring

We are having unseasonably warm weather this winter.  There was a lot of hype over how hard the winter was going to be and now there’s a lot of hype over how much this indicates a frightening climate change. Ah well. Whatever it is or is not, I am not opposed to a lighter winter than usual and spring arriving a month early. 

Also, spring makes me feel like a person again. No matter how much other stuff I am contending with right now (and there is certainly stuff to contend with), spring and the return of green and growing and sunshine and an excuse to be outside… ahhhhh. sigh of contentment.  This wanna-be-farmer is very, very happy (and yes, I still want sheep). 

Today spring means flowers… gardens to uncover… and the patio door open so the dogs can come in and out… and fresh air… and sunshine… I LOVE SPRING!

The Brief Review

I used to love writing book reviews back in my grade school (non-school) days. Lately I am reading more (thanks to  Book Club and my special project) so I thought I’d share some recommendations or dissuade you from wasting your time.  Today’s Brief Review is on “The Kitchen House” by Kathleen Grissom.

We read this for book club a month or two ago. I love historical fiction so I had high hopes for it. Okay, high hopes might be a stretch but it looked interesting. And if you know me, interesting is important, otherwise I simply fall asleep every time I try to read and never even finish it for the discussion (hangs head in shame). 

Back to The Kitchen House… At the beginning, you meet this girl who has come to live with the slave families on this big plantation in the south. She is white but becomes part of the slave family and truly loves them as her own family. There’s some great character development, some heartbreaking tragedies, and you can invest in the story (and admittedly, I never fell asleep while reading it).  And then the raping and pillaging gets out of control. I mean, we know there was some of that going on in those days and I knew the book would have some of it… but come on! This was out of control. By the end of the book, the entire story had turned into the raping and pillaging. Tragedy. And entirely too much. 

I can’t exactly give this book my rousing endorsement because of the intensity of the raping and pillaging.  I won’t say you can’t read it, but I will say you may be able to find better historical fiction involving slaves, plantations, wealthy slave owners, and life in the south without enduring quite so much raping and pillaging.

Activity quilt

I am certainly not bragging, since I kind of hacked this quilt together. Nonetheless, it is an idea I’ve had for awhile and was excited to try it for my newest nephew, Monty. No, you probably cannot get through a post without some kind of auntie mush. 
Monty was born to my brother Neil and his very dear friend Denise. I am excited to welcome this beautiful boy into the family and wanted to make something because it gives me something to do instead of just wishing he was closer (he resides in New Orleans). So the activity quilt took shape.
First I dragged out that tub of old jeans and other clothes that would make a cool project. I had been saving pockets since my last jean quilt so I had quite a few of them already cut out.

Pockets are hard to cut out to a good size because every jean is different, with more or less room around the pocket to work with. So I did the best I could. You can see some jeans have funny seams at angles making it a bit odd but oh well, it adds to the character, right? And then found a pair of checkered capris in that same bin, perfect. And topped it off with an ancient history pair of striped jean shorts to add some more pattern to the quilt.  I laid it out with pockets as every other square.
 
Then I sewed (hacked) all the squares together. And then got some ribbon and borrowed my awesome friend Karen’s snap tool (check out her product review here) to add snaps to the end of them. Sewed the now snap-able ribbons into the pockets. Sewed it all with some batting and used a thrift store jean curtain for the backing (it looked new but was only $4 for a lot of jean fabric- a steal!). I didn’t even bother doing traditional binding because the pockets were close to the edge and lets face it, I’m not very good at binding.  So it went together without binding and I sewed a zigzag stitch around the outside perimeter to hold it together better and add a bit more structure. Then I stuffed the pockets with toys, books, butt cream, a few handmade crinkly squares (tutorial here), and mailed it off! 

Far from perfect, but it was a fun project to do and I think Monty will appreciate it when he gets big enough to find all the hidden treasures. Not to mention, this will be great outside as the jean fabric is very sturdy and resists dirt pretty well. 
And of course, like any good hack (or sewist), I’m coming up with ideas on how to improve it on my next try. 
*This project also aided in the survival of February- very important in my book. 

February Wrap Up

• Get a haircut – Yes
• Go ice skating – Nope
• Host a February party – Yes! The ‘Wine & Cheese to make February Suck Less’ was a lot of fun and I believe it lived up to its name.  
• Have a game night – Nope  
• Indulge in Catan obsession at the Homestead (a fabulous diversion with the Homies) – only once or twice, but still I did it
• Walking the dogs a lot (for good behavior and personal well being) – I’m giving myself 50% on this. I did it more- but not a lot. And their behavior wasn’t stellar and my personal well being isn’t stellar. 
• Sew bathroom curtains – Done and hung!
• Send birthday cards – Uh. Oops. I sent one…
• Clean and organize laundry room – started
• Spend time with my friends – done!
• Have kiddo overnight – done!
• Work less – epic fail!
• Work on special Project – yes, lots of time on special project. With lots more in my future. 
• Get a massage – nope… this will get transferred to my March list. 

Overall I’m pretty satisfied. And now we are on to a new month!