A Healthy Attitude

I am thrilled that this year is coming to an end.  I think for my family is has been a good one.  Certainly not an easy one, but overall in the good range.

Some years on downright bad, while others are incredibly wonderful.  I will be grateful and content with good, because life does not always have to be a parade day.

I had a friend years ago, a young women, who was at a parade with her husband.  He was urging her to get closer, maybe get involved with the activities next year.  She told me, she simply was content to watch the parade.  It made her happy.  She did not have to be the parade.  I loved that!

When we have a "healthy attitude", it makes a huge difference in how you feel about yourself.  Along with our attitude, come "healthy boundaries".  It took me years to learn about these.  We are taught to please everyone, to constantly put other people first, and to do it with a smile.  People pleasing can kill you.

I am certainly not saying that other people are not important.  I am not saying we should be mean spirited.  I am saying that we are important, treating ourselves with love and kindness is key to staying healthy.

Christiane Northrup, M.D., is one of my favorite authors.  One of her lines really made sense to me this morning.  She says, "At midlife we get the chance to make changes, to create lives that fit who we are - or, more accurately, who we have become."   Wow!  I want to do this!!

What if we had a moment in our busy lives, IF, we could take stock of who we are at whatever age we happen to be at?  What if we made one, just one change that was who we had become, not who we were the last 30 years! 

Just let it all go. . .

Just let in all the goodness. . .

 

I always want to do too much.  I always want to learn everything.  What ends up happening is I run around like a chicken with my head cut off.  I don't do any one thing extremely well.  I have piles and piles of papers full of extremely important information, BUT when I sort through the paper, I no longer know what it was that I needed! 

Information Overload

Information Hoarder!

 

At some point I realized this was happening, SO, I cleverly devised a new system!  I would now add a "sticky" with said important information stated and attached to this life changing important piece of paper! 

 

What I have come to realize is my "chi" is blocked by stuff. 

The definition of chi is the fundamental life force that flows through all and everything.

 

Stuff that just does not matter. . . .has me blocked!  Phooey!!

 

Paper Problem

 

So as I head towards a new year filled with so many wonderful possibilities, I am focused on letting go of what is blocking me.  Every chance I can, I am doing the 15 minute de-clutter dance.  Just 15 minutes, and then let it go.  I have accomplished much by doing just that in the last 30 days.  I don't wait until I have a big pile for Salvation Army.  I just make a small stack of stuff and when I know I am driving by the drop-off, it goes with me.  Wow, it feels so good!!

 

I feel a big shift coming into my life. 

 A good, wonderful, much deserved and prayed for change.

 

We all deserve this.  If you can find time in the busy days ahead, think about what it is that would be a small, but significant shift you can make, just for yourself.  It might sound selfish, but everybody around you will benefit.  We need little pats on our backs sometimes, even if we give them to ourselves!

 

Quote for the day:

 

"Attract what you expect,

Reflect what you desire,

Become what you respect,

Mirror what you admire."

 

Unknown

 

Deliciously Wonderful!

Wow, I love it when things go smoothly and it all turns our so yummy!

Our Thanksgiving was really lovely.  My husband, my mom and my brother and me!

 

My hubby always cooks Thanksgiving and it is delicious!  We had the usual Turkey,

stuffing, mash potato, gravy, asparagus, corn and rolls!  It was so very good.

 

I was in charge of dessert!  One of my favorite things!  I made pumpkin pie, apple crisp, banana cake and my first ever lemon meringue pie!  Who ever said there was enough dessert was Crazy!!

So very yummy!  Yahoo!!

 

This Years Accomplishments

As the year starts to roll to an end, I always try to make up a list of things that we have accomplished here on our little homestead.  It helps me figure out how we directed our energy and what was important.

 

We did well this year.  There is much left on the list that was not accomplished, but we are moving in a positive direction, together.   That is the most amazing part.  My hubby and I are on the same page, we do want the same things, and we will accomplish them when the time is right.

 

I find that seeing the cypress trees we planted 3 years ago swaying in the wind at over 5' tall so satisfying.  Remembering the 12' sunflowers that were all over the front yard makes me so happy!

Next year we will have chickens, and how thrilling that will be!

 

I was reading the other day about women's health.  This is a big goal for me next year.  I need to be healthier.  I need to be stronger physically. It is not just to look better, it is to feel better.

 

How we feel directly effects how we act, what we get accomplished, and what type of mood we might be in.

 

I want to feel strong, feel healthy, and feel happy.

 

Now I just need to figure out how to accomplish that and make the best pie each and every month and 2014 will be an amazing year!!

 

Quote for the day:

 

"Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are."

 

Marianne Williamson

 

 

 

 

Turkey Necks

Oh My Goodness!!

Ok, I have been wanting to embrace this aging thing.

 Yes, why fight the inevitable?

So occasionally when I am feeling rather happy with myself, I will take photos to document this aging process.  The original thoughts behind this were that when I am REALLY OLD, I can look back at this spry 54 year old and think, Man, I looked great!

I usually take the photos after a shower, when my skin is all glowing and gorgeous.  Or when I have a green mask on, so it just it freaky! Just as long as nobody sees them!!

But my husband was messing with his phone yesterday, and tried to show me how to work something and it reversed the shot!

OH MY GOODNESS!

IT WAS MY TURKEY NECK!

  I quickly looked around the room to see who in the world had gotten in the house!  Nobody!  Just me and my turkey neck!  Lordy, be still my heart!

So how in the world do we deal with this new development in our lives?  I guess the same as being on fire throughout the day!  Sweater on, sweater off, socks on, socks off!  Yes, just like the dreaded hot flash!  It just is what it is!

I truly do love this age.  So much it clearer.  Things that were so upsetting years ago, no longer matter.  It is not that things don't upset us, it is just that sometimes we actually deal with them differently.  Sometimes we can just let it go!

I remember being a waitress in this "old school" restaurant in Palm Desert, California.  It was a "hot spot for seniors"!  Well, you can imagine the different groups of people, the customers that were the regulars.

There were the groups of men on golfing trips.  From all around the country.  They were out having a great time.  There were the groups of women, trying to find their next "sugar daddies".  It was a complicated situation!  Some of the women were so nipped and tucked, it was difficult to imagine what they had gone through.  They were probably so pretty before anything being done to them.

BUT...

The prettiest women in the restaurant were the women that had the luxury of just being themselves.

They were in their 70's or 80's, they had their wrinkles, they had their gray hair, they had a quiet sense of themselves.  They usually had a martini or an old fashion and they were kind.  The husband or date of these women would look lovingly at them in only a way that is brought on by pure love and acceptance.



I believe we should all do whatever it is that makes us feel good about ourselves.  It is not anybody else's business what our choices are regarding aging.  I just want to remember the women who seemed to do it effortlessly.  I want to remember their grace and kindness and attitude.

Aging requires hard work.  To stay healthy, in our bodies and our minds and our hearts.  Accepting aging requires even more hard work.  It is not for the faint of heart.  Those key words always return; gratitude, kindness, tolerance, and love.

Let us all be these things to ourselves!

On this week of Thanks. . .

Be Grateful

Be Kind

Be Tolerant

Be Loving



TO OURSELVES!

Quote for the day:

"The only difference between a good day and a bad day is your attitude."

Unknown

A Husband, 4 Dogs & A Morning Fire

Some mornings are just so simply lovely!  No mad rush, no worrying about what to accomplish, just the sounds of a crackling fire and steaming coffee.

It was 24 degrees this morning.  Just wonderfully cold, clear skies and perfect for hanging out by the fire.

This guy is cuddled up on the couch next to me!

 

All of the grocery shopping for Thanksgiving is done. 

I am looking forward to turkey, stuffin' and gravy.

 

I hope you had a great weekend!

So much to be thankful for!

 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING WEEK! 

 

 

Quote for the day:

 

"Now and then its good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy."

 

Guillaume Apollinaire

 

A Non-Traditional Life

Once upon a time, I had the pleasure of driving a kind women to a court trial.  She was in her late 70's and did not feel comfortable driving from Palm Desert to San Diego in California. 

Our family friend was the attorney, he asked if it was possible for me to make the trip. I said yes, and have often thought of that two day journey with Luella with much fondness.

Luella had married a NFL football player.  She related the story of meeting him with a girlfriend, and was introduced with the lead in. . . Tom plays for the Rams. . .

She did not know what that was, and he chuckled and the rest is history. Her life was what I believe was the norm for women of her generation.  She married, had six children, and was a devoted wife and mother.  She was a kind and thoughtful woman and I am so glad to have had the chance to spend two days with her.

While we were driving the two and half hours to San Diego, we talked about our lives.  She intently
listened to my life story.  I was 40ish at the time, had never been married and did not have children.  I had just bought my first house and was struggling as a waitress, but I felt like I was doing well on my life path.

Her comment was, "Oh my dear, you have lived a rather non-traditional life."  It was not in a judgemental way, but just a quiet statement regarding my life.

I thought about that comment all evening.  I could not sleep thinking about it.  I have thought about that comment for the last fourteen years.

 

Our paths, our lives, they are our own making, but without a doubt we're influenced by our families, our childhood, our teen years, our teachers, the current political ideology at the time, the music of our youth and early adulthood, our friends and ultimately our decisions.

Can we pinpoint the events that have led us to our current lifestyle?  Is it even fair to try to place that kind of responsibility on an event, a thing or a person?

I think that our locale and our state of mind are what ultimately influence us at these times of growth.  We are surrounded by different sets of influences and depending on what we have retained or thrown away from our family beliefs , we emerge who we are.

There are many times we stop and reevaluate who we are, what we are doing, and where we are going.  Some of those times we are clear on each and every answer, and other times the fog is so thick we can barely make it out of bed.

It is the journey of our lives.  It is complicated at times, simplicity leading at other times, but every step, every choice we make is ours.  It just seems sometimes we are more conscious than other times.

Does it not blow your mind when you meet someone and early in their lives they truly grasped that actions create consequences!  Wow, that is gnarly.  We all know that whatever we do has an outcome, but sometimes we can go through life not wanting to think through the impact of a decision.

We want to dance the night away!  Who cares abut tomorrow morning responsibilities!

We want to go out with that person who intrigues us, even if we know they will break our hearts!  Just savoring the moment and not caring about the future pain.

I have often wondered what if I had lived a more Traditional Life, would I have made so many mistakes?

Probably, because mistakes mean we're growing.  We live, we learn, we repeat the process, good and bad, easy and hard, fun and miserable.

Do people who have a Traditional Life have less pain?  more joy?  a better retirement?  Do they laugh more and cry less?

I doubt it.  I think our laughter and our pain are ours to create, to feel, to hang on to and to endure.

Whatever our life circumstances, we still need to go through life's lessons.  Whether we are living in a McMansion, a log cabin or a yurt really has no bearing on the deep true lessons of life.  Only on our decorating decisions. . . we adorn wherever we are, we embrace each locale , we either keep it or we discard it , all dependent on outside influences, traditional or non-traditional.

                                               

Some of my favorite women artist were all non-traditional.  I love reading about Georgia O'Keefe, Beatrice Woods, and Frieda Kahlo.  Wow, what incredible souls!  What incredible lives!  What incredible art!

There are times when I want or need to think, "Oh life could have been easier had I married early in life, had 2.5 children, a starter home, a college education with a dedicated career, and  a go at the carpool."

When I think that those things would have been a better choice, I need to remember we each walk a different path.  Each one unique to whom we are, not one is better than the other.  Each comes with happiness and sorrow.  Life's lessons don't care about your material circumstances, they care about your inner journey with whatever it is that defines God for you.

Sometimes I just wonder what it would have been like in a Ferrari, but it wouldn't surprise me if I get one on my 70th Birthday, because I do live a Non-Traditional life and on the wheel of gifts appropriate for a non-traditional woman of this age, Ferrari is on the top!  Whoooo-Rah!

 

 

Quote for the day:

"My life is full of mistakes.  They're like pebbles that make a good road."

 

Beatrice Wood 

Goals & Expectations

It is that time of year when we are reevaluating our progress for the last eleven months.  What did I accomplish?  What did I lag in?  What did I learn?  What brought me happiness, joy and peace?
What brought me pain? 

It seems to be a constant in my head.  What are you doing?  What have you done?  Where are you going?  Are you happy?  Do you feel content?  Why are you angry?  Why are you sad?  Why in the world are you confused?  Darn it, stay on track!!!  Oh, what track?  A, B or Z? 

Endless, endless questions,  blah, blah, blah!! 

The thing about goals is we have an expectation of a result.  Or at least some progress.  We need to be able to give ourselves a thumbs up at some point. . . .

What happens when your brain is spinning out of control with ideas.  Ideas that make you silly with delight!  Interests that you are sure you would be good at . . . .If you could find the time and the focus to make them happen.

At some point I just shut down.  I can't take any more.  I think I have actually made myself physically sick the last month.  I have been laying down for two days, body aching, mind numb, brain tired of it all. Or it could just be the flu going around, or both!!

For me the truth is to write it all down.  Talk it over with my partner in this crazy life, my hubby and decide what needs to be tweaked, what needs to be eliminated, what can be added and what truly can we accomplish with time and money being factored in.

I am sure that we all have different needs, wants, goals and interest at different ages.  How can we not?  We grow so much at different times, while other years we are quiet, like bears hibernating.

If we factor in the need to pay the bills, have some fun, plan for the future, and dance in the dining room, it can be so overwhelming!!

So Just Dance!!!   No, just kidding. .

NO . . .NOT KIDDING!  We have to let go every once in a while, let it all out.....When it is all seriousness, when we are not laughing, when we don't enjoy the silliness of life, it just makes us sick, sad, confused and angry.

We need to let go of the overwhelming need to accomplish so much.  We need to give ourselves a break and realize we do so much, and we do a good job!  We need to pace ourselves so we are happy, healthy and full of joy.

Thanksgiving is next week and then the mad rush towards Christmas.  Be kind to yourself!

The dogs are snoring.

  I think I will give it a go, snoring rocks!!

Quote for the day:

 

"Goals are simply tools to focus your energy in positive directions; they can be changed as your priorities change, new ones added, and others dropped."

 

O. Carl Simonton

Curiosity

I call my husband Curious George.  He drives me nuts with questions.  One after the other.  The worst ones are when we are vegging and watching TV programs.  He always falls asleep, he never remembers the plot line, and he controls the remote!!   Rewind, Question, Fast Forward, Stop, Question, Rewind, Plot? Who?, Repeat!! 

 

I am also curious.  I just don't require long drawn out explanations.  Some things just are not that important to me. 

 

BUT. . . .

 

I am curious about the new year coming fast towards us!  I feel this incredible, positive energy.  I feel that healing has been done, for my husband and me.  That new fantastic opportunities are opening up in 2014!

 

We moved to Mexico in 2006. 

 We left Mexico in 2010. 

We landed in Big Bear Lake, California to regroup and breath.

 We left California for South Carolina in 2010.

  We have healed and grown in ways I had prayed for.

 

New beginnings and new locales always bring new challenges, new thrills and new growth.  I have mentioned before that Mexico did not feel like my home until about 3 years into living there. 

About the time it was becoming a good fit, the horrible home invasion happened. It was violent.  I was shot, we were tied up, they stole our trucks and phones and left us to be found by friends.

 

That was the end of feeling any security for us. What had been "the dream", living alone on top of a small mountain staring at the ocean was no longer an option.  What goodness had been built by my husband in that "Dream Home" was dead.  Our only option was to come home to the States.

My hubby on the terrace at Casa Colina making curtain rod holders!

What a view, what an experience!

 

 

 

Changes are hard.  Even when we anticipate them, organize for them, plan and make them our reality.

Changes are sometimes brought to us by the strangest of circumstances.  Learning to accept change and make it positive can be challenging.

 

This year, our third year in South Carolina, it became my home.  I felt the shift.  I feel a sense of peacefulness in our lives. I feel that we are surrounded by goodness and that has brought so much healing.

An old barn with an American Flag and a Happy Cow

 

BUT. . .

 

I am so curious about the future.  I am so hopeful.  I am so grateful.

 

What are you curious about?  What are your hopes for the coming year?

 

This year will bring having a booth at a Farmers Market.  We will hopefully sell a variety of handmade items.  We are not sure which Farmers Market.  We are not sure what the products will be.

We are sure that it is in our future.  Of course, we want it to be successful, but the experience will bring the opportunities that will develop into a way to make our living.

 

Being retired and then trying to figure it all out again really SUCKS!  But I find that gratitude and curiosity make it so much fun.

 

No matter what our lives are like, no matter what life experiences we have had, we cannot let the past hold on to us.  We have to take the goodness and joy of those past experiences and keep them in our hearts.  Finding ways to release the negative past experience is hard, but is the only way to embrace the PRESENT....That is all we have, just this moment because life can change in a minute. And as a recent quote I used relates:

 "There is no past or future, only the present happening over and over now."

 

I remember laying on the floor in a puddle of dog pee and thinking if we can give these guys what they want, maybe they will leave SOON!  We just need to get through the next few moments ALIVE, then we can figure out the next step to living through this.

 

Whatever challenges you are facing, while they seem hard, you have the power to overcome them.  You can heal, your curiosity about life will return, your joy and laughter will ring through your soul again....It just takes Baby Steps, every day and sometimes every moment....

 

You Deserve All The Goodness In The World!

 

Quote for the day:

 

"I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career.  I have lost almost 300 games.  On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game-winning shot...and I missed.  I have failed over and over and over again in my life.  And that's precisely why I succeed."

 

Michael Jordan

Beeswax Candle Making!!

Oh, my goodness!  I attended the BEST class yesterday!  I was invited to a candle making class at MamaBeeHive!  Sally Adams is the owner of MamaBeeHive Honey Farm in Clover, South Carolina.  She is a kind and generous Beekeeper!  Check out her website, www.mamabeehive.com

She was named Beekeeper of the Year 2013 in South Carolina.  She and her friend and fellow Beekeeper Cynthia were actually one of the first speakers, my hubby and I saw at our Local Bee Club.

They are fun, kind and knowledgeable speakers!  Not to forget, they are inspiring.  They do a whole program of teaching kids about bees and their importance to our planet.  For me it is always fun to find other women with the same interest. Such a treat!

The Candle Making Class was held in Sally's Honey House.  My husband and I had seen it on the York County Ag & Art Tour last summer.  It gives me great hope, as one day, I plan on turning our carport into one!!
Don't tell my husband!!  Ssshhh!!  More honey-do's!!

She has converted their garage into a Honey Production Area/ Candle Making Studio.  It is an awesome space!!  The group was mainly from their Local Bee Club.  They were fun and friendly, a great group of people to spend the day with.

As I am the Beeless Beekeeper, I am always amazed at how much I learn from just hanging out with Beekeepers!  Everyone has a different take or experience, or a different way of seeing something!  It was a laughter filled experience. Just fantastic!!

The honey harvesting section of the studio.

 

Sally shared with us how she keeps her honey at a temperature where it will not crystallize in the winter. She uses a heat lamp and sensor!  Sorta like what you use with baby chicks!  So cool!  Something I had not even considered, since I have never harvested any honey!  I am always thrilled with the different homemade devices that artisans create to make their individual experience go more smoothly!

 

We learned about rendering the raw beeswax to get it to a place that is clean enough to become candles.  For me, as always, just seeing the process makes it real.  I learn by seeing, doing and that makes it something I can recreate.  Certainly, not as well, but it gives me a little confidence in what it should look like.

 

There are many safety issues to consider when working with hot wax. A fire extinguisher handy and never leaving your melting wax, unless you turn off your burner!

 

We all had the choice of a polyurethane mold or we could pour into a glass container.  There were adorable molds of Christmas trees, globes, and all kinds of shapes.

 

Wax hardening in the molds.  See the ingenious technique for keeping your wick centered!

Clothespins holding wick and tied off to the wire rack above....

Tricks of the trade!!

 

My first candle!

 

Another ingenious trick to centering the wick in a glass container!

Chopsticks! or Skewer!

 

You wrap your wick and get it centered before you start pouring.  It stays through the hardening process.  So very cool!

 

It is important to remember to put warning labels on your candles.  Just a kind reminder to whomever received a gift or purchased an item, to never leave a burning candle unattended.

 

We went over the different types of wicks, molds, and possible sources for candle making supplies!

 

You can harvest your wax from your own hives or you can buy from other Beekeepers.  Beeswax is so beautiful and smells so good. 

 

We ended our fun filled experience with rolling our own candles from Beeswax foundation!

Oh, so much fun!

Another gift from our buzzing little friends!

Beekeepers Rock!

 

Thanks MamaBeeHive!!

 

Quote for the day:

 

"Creativity is a central source of meaning in our lives....most of the things that are interesting, important, and human are the results of creativity.....when we are involved in it, we feel we are living more fully than during the rest of life."

 

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Discipline Of Kindness

While deciding what to write about today, I kept coming back to kindness.  It is so important to me.  It is so important in our world.  I believe it has always been important. It can change our lives......

The action of being kind brings so many rewards.  It is an actual lifestyle, mind set, and reality.  I believe that kindness just creates a better "now", right here, right now, which leads to a better future.

Kindness towards ourselves so important.  We can go about our day, extending kindness to our families, to strangers, to animals and yet, in a moment, we allow the little voices in our heads to forget to give kindness to ourselves!  We are so busy, list of things to accomplish, but I bet being kind to oneself is not on the agenda!

I found this quote this morning and it really resonated with me.

"Many years ago, early in our relationship, my wife, Devers, said something that impressed me profoundly.  "You are a very kind, generous, and caring -- when you stop long enough in what you are doing for it to occur to you.  What you have never learned is the discipline of kindness.  This means kindness that is not a matter of mood or convenience.  It means kindness as a basic way of functioning.  It is in you as a potential, but it doesn't happen without consciousness and discipline."

"The discipline of kindness" -- I have learned to love that phrase.  When I mention it in lectures, everyone seems instantly to know what it means - just as, I suspect, you do now.

Nathaniel Branden

(Self Esteem Everyday)

I love that.  I had to reread it several times, but it is spot on.  Kindness happens when you believe in it.  You don't have to think it through, you just act. I want to be kinder to myself, like I treat other people.  I want to feel that goodness that is in me, and nurture it.   We are all on different life plans, that is what makes us so interesting as humans.  We are not racing to a finish.  We are on a journey and it should be fun and fabulous.  When I forget to laugh at myself, I miss out on a good chuckle.
When I forget to be kind to myself, I miss out on growing stronger.

I believe I learned kindness from my mom.  She is one of the kindness people I have ever known.
This was evident by her actions, towards our family, but always towards strangers!  It would drive us nuts, when we were kids.  You see a car on the side of the road, it is hot and in the middle of nowhere.  Yep, you guess it we would have to stop, load the family in the ole station wagon, and get them to a gas station.....I could recount story after story.  Those were the days, before you had a cell phone or had to pass somebody by because of the danger that might exist!  Thanks for leading by example Mom!

 

Let your kindness shine today!

Let it shine towards others! 

Let it shine towards yourself!

 

 

 

Quote for the day:

 

"So many Gods, so many creeds,

So many paths that wind and wind,

While just the art of being kind

Is all the sad world needs."

 

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Food, Food, Food!

Not a day goes by that all of us do not think about food! Even if you are not a "foodie", you still have to eat.  What patterns we have developed depend on so many different things.  How we grew up, what we love, what we can afford, if we like to cook, if we love fast food, are we dieting, are we being healthy?

Since we have been back in the States, we have gone through a series of phases regarding our eating. At first, we could not eat enough steak! Lordy, it was like we had been on a desert island, and finally arrived at Steak Paradise.  It was just the ability to actually buy delicious beef again.  Mexico does not offer good beef.  At least where we lived and shopped.

After crossing the border, the first place we ate was In and Out Burger!!  We asked the Border Agent where the closest one was, he laughed and pointed us in the right direction.  I remember sitting in the RV, surrounded by dogs and not even speaking.  I will never know if I was just overwhelmed to be back home, where I felt safe or the burger was so good.  I cried the whole time I ate it!

Of course, being in your own country brings such feelings of comfort when you are grocery shopping.  It might just be the lay out of the market, how clean it feels, how organized, or the familiar products. I am grateful for the bounty that we are afforded in this country. I am curious how much of it is really, truly good for us.

I am wondering about what goes into each food.  Chemicals, sugars, fats, trans fats, oh lordy, those are the only "buzz" words that come to my mind right now.  Obviously, we need to avoid processed food, boxed concoctions that we could make from scratch, but I really love crackers, I love chocolate, I love baking with sugar, I love cheese, oh my goodness I love bread, dough of all kinds!!

So I guess the next word is "moderation".  I am not fond of it.  Give me sugar by the boatful! 

We just had our first meal here in the South of deer cube steak.  Wow, it was delicious!  It was a gift from our friends family....I did not know what to expect, but I am sold.  So very good.  I asked my husband to ask the guys at work where we could buy it.  It is illegal to sell deer meat in South Carolina.  Who knew? 

This was the only picture before we woofed it down!

 

As we are trying to eat a healthier diet, grow more of our veggies and plan a seasonal harvest.  More and more questions get thrown into the mix.

 

We will try to keep growing more veggies each season.  We will continue to learn how to process and preserve our harvest.  I would love to grow our salad material all winter.  It is just a matter of a greenhouse and some heat.  I know we can make it happen.

 

I have many goals for next year.  I am hoping to become a better bread baker.  I really, really want to master a delicious pie crust!  Oh, that would be awesome.  Homemade tortillas are high on the list, as are delicious herbal flat crackers!!  Yummy, now if we could just get some goats, and I could learn to make goat cheese.......Baby steps, yet again...

but a girl has to dream on a cold fall day about delicious food yet to be made!

 

Bon Appetit!

 

Quote for the day:

 

"The act of putting into your mouth what the earth has grown is perhaps your most direct interaction with the earth."

 

Frances Moore Lappe

Diet for a Small Planet

Simple Delights

I love those days when you just realize all day how blessed you are!  It just happens when you wake up, it could be the sun shining through the windows, the oatmeal your hubby makes for breakfast, the phone call with a dear friend thousands of miles away!  The possibilities are endless, but it takes recognizing them for their simple gifts and being grateful.

Yesterday was that kind of day for me.  A lazy morning with coffee, an incredible conversation with a friend miles and miles away, but always in our hearts, oatmeal for breakfast, and then a day with simple accomplishments!

We are gradually gathering the supplies needed to start our soapmaking adventure.  As always, we are on a budget, so we hunt and gather for months, and then one day the adventure begins!!  I really feel like we could create a beautiful line of soaps, lip balms, potions and lotions to add to our pillows at future farmers markets or crafts fairs.  So in that vein, baby steps again....

Our first homemade soap mold!

 

My hubby used some scrap wood shelves and created this.  We are going to use piano hinges to attach to the sides and they will fold back to open the mold.

She is a beauty, isn't she?

 

My mom sold soap at a street fair in Palm Desert for years.  It was a glycerin based product, simply beautiful with ribbons of color and scents that were heavenly.  I don't believe that we will do glycerin, because I want to work with all natural products, but you never know.

 

Remember my Black Eyed Susans?

 

This is only a small plate of potential seeds....I have bowls and bowls to save....

 

Crazy how many you can save......

 

They are super tiny seeds.

 

I am going to experiment with them next spring..I will see how many I can actually bring to germination and if maybe I can sell the seedlings at the local Farmers Market!

 

We just had a great Sunday filled with simple pleasures.  I understand that life does not always afford lazy days with simple fun tasks, but if we look at the good, the funny, the many gifts we have it does affect our attitude......and attitude is everything.

 

Sauve always has a good attitude!

"Hey Mom, check out all the leaves!  Is it treat time?"

 

Have an amazing week, you deserve it!

 

 

Quote for the day:

 

"You deserve flowers on your doorstep and coffee in the morning,

 

You deserve notes left on your dashboard and ice cream sundaes at 3 am,

 

You deserve honesty everyday and to be kissed every hour,

 

You deserve to be reminded how beautiful you are."

 

Unknown

 

 

 

 

Beeezzzz Happy

Last Thursday, my hubby and I went to the Laurens Beekeeping Club Meeting.  They had a wonderful speaker, Virginia Webb.  She is a Master Beekeeper and has been keeping bees since she was a child!

She was doing a lecture and demonstration on candle making with beeswax.  It was amazing.  She is an excellent speaker and full of fun and wisdom to boot!

She and her husband are commercial beekeepers in northern Georgia.  Their website is www.mtnhoney.com

This is a great youtube of Virginia and her husband, Carl....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJYtfPUG8qw

Here are a few fun facts I learned or relearned!

Did you know it takes 15 lbs of honey to make 1 lb of wax? 

Wax is made on the abdomen of the honeybee.  The wax glands are activated and away they go!

Photo from Internet

 

I am so excited about starting beekeeping again.  If you remember last year we had one hive, our first hive at our friends house, Farmer T & Beelady.  They were so kind in letting us start on their property.

 

Well, after three weeks, our bees absconded!  Took off, the dirty rotten rats!  No, they just left and we have no idea why.  At the time we could not afford to buy another package.  But what a great experience!  Just installing them in their new hive was thrilling.

 

So

Again

Baby Steps.....

We will try Again and Again and Again

 

 

Photo from Internet

 

There are so many reasons to keep bees.  Of course, the first that always comes to mind is HONEY!

Delicious HONEY!

 

They are one of the few Pollinators on our Planet.  They are so IMPORTANT!

 

Think about becoming a beekeeper!  They are amazing.  They will bring you more than just honey!  They bring you a sense of peace and amazement!

They are incredible, buzzing, little creatures and we need more of them!

Call your local Bee Club and join!

 

Another great site is www.honey.com

It is the National Honey Board.

Full of amazing information, recipes and inspiration!

and remember....

 

BEEZZZZZZZZ  HAPPY

 

 

Quote for the day:

 

"I am mentally preparing myself for the five-year-old mind.  I want to come down to their physical limitations and up to their sense of wonder and awe."

 

Shinichi Suzuki

 

Metanoia

Word for the day....

Metanoia  (n.)

The journey of changing one's mind, heart, self, or way of life.

I love, love, love this word.  I love its meaning.

One of my favorite teachers, Mrs. Campbell.  My Ceramics teacher at Samohi.  She had a list with a new word everyday.  They were big, complicated words.  I could not wait to see what it was each day.

For me when I can define what my goal or purpose is, it makes my day go so much more smoothly.

This word defines my life at this point.  It actually started in Mexico, when I realized that was not where I wanted to be.  It was not working for me in so many ways.  Slowly I began reading these blogs about farming, homesteading, creating a life that was simpler and soul satisfying.

It was weird because all of the people who I was fascinated with were on the East Coast.  From New York down to North Carolina.  I started dreaming of a farm.  I started a blog with that name.  Posted a few times and stopped.

The beautiful Liza & Blondie

 

For me finding this new life has not been without challenges.  I guess it boils down to finding what you are capable of, have the means to accomplish, and to me, the most important, WHAT MAKES YOUR HEART SING!

 

If life affords you an opportunity to make a change, not just a new apartment, or home or locale, BUT a real change in how you live each moment.....

 

Don't you need to embrace with every fiber of your soul?

 

Meet Moose

 

I find this time, this journey really scary.  I find it full of so much wonder and goodness, it just makes my heart full of love.

 

There are days when I want to throw in the towel, when I allow negative thoughts to rule my little world and then there are days like yesterday, that just feel like God is tapping me on the shoulder and saying, "hey girl, look at what is right around the corner.  you are so close.  don't give up!"

 

I spent the day with my friend, the Horselady.  She was so kind in letting me hang out with her and learn about taking care of her animals!  Thrilling and so much fun!

 

I learn by doing.  I am a visual learner.  I can read books until I am blue in the face, but I always can learn by actually doing the activity.

 

I learned to clean horse stalls!

I watched as she fed the horses, the goats, & the pig!

It was so incredibly fun!

 

They are amazing creatures!

 

So today I am grateful for the kind and inspiring friends who allow me to dream the dream.  I am grateful for the amazing animals we share this planet with.

Little moments bring such big satisfaction, they remind you that you are on the right track!

You just have to keep going and remember it is not a race....

IT IS YOUR LIFE

 

YOUR JOURNEY

 

SO CHERISH IT

 

EVERY MINUTE

OF

EVERY DAY 

 

MAKE IT YOUR DREAM

 

Quote for the day:

 

"We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves happy.  The amount of work is the same."

 

Carlos Casteneda

Sunday Sweetness

I am so in love with YouTube!  I cannot believe that I can learn just about anything there!

Yesterday after seeing that my zipper was just the worst installation in zipper history, I went on YouTube and found a treasure trove of zipper goodness!

It is funny, you can sew for years, and then in a moment you seem to forget what you already knew!

It is like all your sewing knowledge goes into a little sewing vault and is stored until you are ready to really put it to good use......

I AM READY FOR MY SEWING KNOWLEDGE MR DEVILLE!!!

Mom has all sorts of scraps from her crocheting!

What magic will she create?

 

On my morning walk along the country roads, it is so pretty, and the air is crisp.

 

The leaves are turning, it is everything I had hoped for!

 

 

Old abandoned home on my walk

 

I was working out in yard and the afternoon sun was unreal!

 

I saved all kinds of seeds this week.  Tons of basil, yellow marigolds, orange marigolds, zinnia, mammoth sunflower, littler sunflowers, squash, and today piles of black eyed susans!

I have a good feeling about flower crops next spring!

 

The blackberries have all sorts of new vine, the raspberries look really good & healthy.  We did not get any new blueberry bushes in, I am disappointed.  We really need more, but the fig tree is healthy!

Overall it was a good season, but my hopes are high for next year!!

 

Enjoy your Sunday

Quote for the day:

 

"And the days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations, I have really good days."

 

Ray Wylie Hubbard