Garden Report 3- mulched and needing more mulch

The garden is now covered in straw.  I wasn't sure what else to do with too many weeds coming up and not enough rain to keep the soil moist.  I'm checking out a pile of leaves pushed up against a neighbor's fence and wondering if I could convince the boys to spend a day raking and spreading them on top of the straw.  We've also been collecting cardboard and feed bags and putting them down along the pathways.  More than anything right now I could use some more wood chips, I've already gone through 10 yards and it would require several more dump loads to get the amount I need.

    

 The hugel beds are growing strong plants and weeds, not sure what to do about that because everytime I pull a weed it creates erosion and I lose a bit of soil and stability for the plants.

The boxes in the front are doing their work.  After further investigation I'm happy to report the sweet potato loss was not as bad as I originally suspected, I am seeing new leaves sprout from the shriveled plants.  

I lost two napa cabbages, one day they were there and the next they were withered, and still wondering why.  Greens are doing well and finally got to thinning beets, turnips and carrots.  

We got some cucumbers in along the side of the house

The peas are flowering and climbing

James set up a tower for his bird house gourds to climb

Peonies are popping 

A neighbor split an order of basket willow starts.  These are salix americana and so far so good.  They are tiny now but should grow to a hedge and maybe by that time I'll have time to experiment with basket making?!

Lupines are out and I'm feeling the urge to plant some more for soil coverage under some trees

Peter got a sunflower house in and already they are sprouting.  He mixed in a few climbing beans to climb the sunflowers and planted a pepper right in the middle for snacking.  On another morning a neighbor showed up at my door at 8 am and suggested we "have fun in the garden".  We found a spot and put in a row of bush beans and she was generous will all sorts of tried and true garden tips.

The potato towers are growing quickly and now I'm wondering if they are tall enough for the job. 

And the most exciting addition to the garden this week is a small flock of guineas that were picked up yesterday at a bird show in Charlotte, MI.  The kids are playing with them and training them to remain tame and I am looking forward to them growing into their role as primary pest patrollers. 

Looking back on 

garden report 1

garden report 2

Making Cob with Kids

Over the last several weeks we have enjoyed getting to know some other homeschool families in the area.  We try to meet once a week rotating homes with the intention of offering project based learning based on sustainable farming methods. 

This morning we were invited to participate in building an earthen oven. The oven is really big, at least 3 feet in diameter and will be large enough for at least 8 loaves of bread.  I'm already dreaming one up for our family to build!
  

I don't know enough about cob building to offer much technical detail so I will simply share what we did.  Buckets of sand and clay where collected from around the property and dumped on a large tarps.  A pile of straw was chopped and sprinkled on top as was a few splashes of water.  

The volume was turned up on some good dancing music and the mixing and stomping began.

Once the right consistency was achieved bricks where kneaded and patted by hand then added to the base of the oven.

I am grateful for a little hands on (or foots on) experience and hope that we will be able to participate in further stages.  For those who are local the family is offering workshops for the next three Fridays and you may contact me for details.  And for those who interested but too far away this book was recommended as a must read on the subject. 

Practicing Peace in Chaos

On a good morning and with the help of yoga today I can squeeze a bit of yoga practice into my life.  Matched with scripture study this is a great start to the day. But sometimes the morning turns on me in the middle of the practice, and this is probably the best practice. 

Lately, it seems every morning has been turning on me, being greeted with much more chaos than cooperation.  I am learning that peaceful management of a home and family requires more than just an outline for our day.  

My kids like to sneak pictures of me when I'm practicing yoga.  They think when I'm closing my eyes I don't know what they are doing, sometimes during my practice they'll also sneak into the fridge or slip in a few unkind words or hurtful hand to another sibling.  Sometimes (oftentimes), the younger ones climb and crawl all over me.  This offers advanced practice and I usually fold into laughter, and laughing yoga may be what is needed most at this stage.

Last Sunday morning was particularly hard.  I do not practice yoga with a mat on the sabbath but I do incorporate ujiayi breathing into the task of getting our family ready and out the door for church.  Anyone with even one young child knows the challenge, Paul and I often say it could be included as an Olympic event.  

On this particular morning my children were waking from a family party that went till 11pm.  My parents are in town and it is hard and perhaps important not to set boundaries on such joy.  A handful of hours later,  somewhere in the middle of my children's sleep, Crystal the mother cat decided to distribute her kittens into the various beds of my children.  I think it was 3 am when Maryanna was at my pillow informing me of the unusual situation.  So I sent her back to bed and set off on a kitten hunt.  In the process I ended up cleaning their rooms and folding clothes while I carefully searched for the kittens.  By 4 am all the kittens were set back in a box inside a closet with the mother.

By 6 am I was reminded it was time to start getting ready for church.  I took to the task of laying out clothes and peacefully urged others out of bed.  I slipped downstairs, dug through a giant pile of unfolded laundry for a few missing components and then proceeded with breakfast preparations.  We had a plan to join in on a few more family gatherings directly after church so I also began preparing the contributions I offered to bring.

There still was no sign of another waking human but the goats and chickens were all calling from their pens, another reminder of all that needed to get done before leaving for church.  As part of our Sunday morning routine I play the album "Teach Me To Walk In The Light" so I turned it as loud as I could.  

  One by one life found its way down the steps, first down was one of the older boys wearing pants that hit mid calf.  There was much resistance when I informed him that he could not wear those pants, this was matched with anger, frustration and all the physical affects of too little sleep and too much sugar.  

The next big boy I greeted wore an undershirt that screamed "Michigan Football" right through the dress shirt and I was faced with more practice.

There was barely time for baths so we did quick dips of the younger ones.  We did this sequentially and maybe twice for the ones who decided to play in the honey that was left out with breakfast.  Paul and William did all the animal chores.  

I kept an even peace until I realized there was no way we were going to make it in time for the Sacrament.  From there I spiraled from blaming and yelling to going to a place of failure. This all happened while digging through the unfolded laundry pile a second time to replace clothes that were smeared with honey.  I did not sit well with the situation and crumpled into a prayer and tears into the laundry pile.  Immediately the question came to me for what purpose do you partake of the Sacarment? I responded in my heart,  a remembering of the Savior, a recommitment of Christ like living and  for a renewal of peace.  With this response came a clear exhale and reconnection with peace, I partook of it within my heart.

We were late for church and the house was left in a tornado like mess and I'm pleased to report peace was maintained.  That is what matters.

I use to think the solution was to fix the chaos, control it, but that is impossible and yelling and stressing does not feel good inside my body.   All I can control is myself and my own response to what ever shows up in my daily life.  And my life offers much practice.

       

With the intention of greater peace and calm, I hope to tune more into the eyes of individuals than the clock, I am hoping to step away from what is expected and instead ask myself "what is really needed in this moment?".  

As a mother may I be more joyful in setting the tone of our home, especially a harmonious note when it is time to venture out the door of our home. 

I like to use a mix of Mormon and Yoga language as a tool for my intentions.  Sometimes I even arm myself with a tangible reminder, a handwritten scripture or mantra that rests in my pocket for the day.  Some days I simply rely on an open heart and mind for spiritual messages to come as they are needed. 

At the start (or sometimes re-start) of each day I plead for clarity and focus of the mind, for my heart, that it may continually be the home of peace and love, my core, that may it be filled deeply with the strength and power of breath and that I may remain centered.  I seek courage and balance in reaching out through my limbs and my feet, that they may stay grounded, firmly planted in truth.  This is my daily practice and joy.........even when it is through a cloud of chaos or a giant pile of unfolded laundry.

Garden report 2 - Eating our weeds

I wasn't sure we made many gains in the garden this week until sifting through these photos.  

Maryanna prepared her own garden bed and decided that rocks would be a great place to squat and weed.  She planted two pepper plants, some cosmos, coneflower, and marigolds.  It was a full day's work for her and so far she is committed, it may be tidier than her room!  

In another corner of the garden peas are starting to climb.  We have never done peas and hope this will be a favorite snacking spot.

We had a dance with some very low temps last week, down to 38.  The sweet potatoes were under plastic and I still believe we suffered a 50% loss of them.  I added some sorrel, cilantro, marigolds, and a few zinnias and sunflowers.  I see the Asian greens, beets and turnips coming up and was worried about the lettuces.  I had them recorded on my map but when there wasn't any sign of them I wondered if I actually got around to putting the seeds in.  Just this morning though I'm happy to report a faint whisper of green right where I recorded them planted.  Gotta have trust in that map.    

The front bed was cleaned out and filled with herbs, cucumbers, peppers, hollyhocks, lavender and too wide a selection of colors and flowers to list here.  A neighbor noted, "I see you went totally crazy" and I said it was to match the vibrant energy that lives within the house, it will prepare any visitor for the life and noise that may hit them just one step inside our door. 

I'm also pleased to report I was successful in barricading the chickens and dog out with a double fence but used a variety of pots just in case.

Some heavy storms came through, a tornado just 10 miles north of us.  The rain left behind a nice mud pile and when temperatures reached almost 80 it was squishy delight for the youngest four.

We got two cherry trees in, one bing and one tartan.  These were the thoughtful mother day's gift from my family and they were planted just between the blueberries and asparagus bed.

I added two late season blueberry bushes to our small patch, we now have 9 but I feel like we may need 100.  A friend suggested planting service berries because they are bigger and will produce more, I've never heard of them and I am curious.  My plan is to move more berries to zone 1, within 20 feet of my front door.

We got in 30 tomato plants and I still have 32 more to plant.  We are going to have to move the giant compost pile in the middle of the garden order to allow space for them.  I swore I would never bring home another living thing (plant or animal) until I was sure I had an immediate spot to put them, these tomatoes were another reminder.

And now for the weeds.  Having not tilled the entire space I see the grass is threatening to take over.  We are putting the goats on it but that can be tricky, too often my goat herders sleep on the job and the goats so easily drift to something that should not be eaten.

This is Arabella, she may be my favorite goat.  About once a week I'll pull her aside, hug her, pet her, tell her how much I love her then tell her to go after that little patch of poison ivy in the garden.  She does just as I say and one of these days I'm going to have to brave digging up the roots.

Nettles and lambs quarter have been plentiful.  We are harvesting what we can use.  James filled a 2 qt jar with lambs quarter for me and we covered it with apple cider vinegar.  It will sit for 6 weeks and provide an excellent calcium supplement.  

The kids are learning what plants are edible and enjoy snacking.  As Peter weeded he fed the lambs quarter directly to Charlie and Peter could not weed fast enough to keep up with the demand.  

                 
I sure wish all the weeds could be controlled by eating them but there are way too many and they so quickly can consume me if I let them.  So I've learned to operate a weed whacker, it is loud and stinky but so worth it every couple of weeks simply to find my breath in the garden.  Long term plan includes cardboard and loads and loads of mulch.  In the meantime it is chop and drop with an occasional meal for us and the goats. 

Here's a peak back at week 1 in the garden

Middle of the night kitten surprise

It was 3 am when Peter woke me up.  He initially thought he may have wet the bed but immediately turned his concern to what he thought was a mouse on his pillow.  He came to my bedside requesting that I get the mouse out of his bed and help him change his bedding.  I asked him if the mouse was dead or alive and when he answered alive, I kicked Paul and told him that was going to have to be his job.  

Less than a minute later Paul was back and announced it was not a mouse but a baby kitten and there was now two of them.  Peter and I jumped up with excitement!  Of all the children Crystal loves Peter the most so of course she would choose his bed for giving birth.  

As we were collecting towels we heard another scream from Crystal and by the time we were up at the top bunk where Peter sleeps there was another kitten.  I was sure this being her first litter that that was going to be it and we could go back to sleep.  Peter couldn't sleep, he kept insisting that Crystal needed him and with the next cat scream he was back at her side and witnessed the birth of kitten #4.  I decided that was definitely enough kittens and was satisfied enough to sleep.

By morning it was announced that 6 kittens were counted! I am happy to report Crystal is a natural mother and was successfully feeding and licking them all.

I immediately emailed a friend who has hosted many batches of kittens.  She reassured me that there was really nothing to do except not move the kittens.  The mother cat may find that threatening and then hide them somewhere very difficult for us to find.  

The problem was they were nested on the top bunk and we worried about them falling down.  So we simply picked the towel up and placed it in a box on the top bunk hoping that would be safe enough.  Not too many mornings later though we woke up to a panic when two of the kittens were missing.  Luckily the boys keep a very untidy room and the kittens were spotted in an open drawer beneath the bunkbed in a heap of clothes.  They were fine.

It was time to move the kittens and take delight in handling them so very gently.  Crystal has accepted the new nesting spot in the corner of the boys room and the boys are gaining patience in allowing open visiting hours to the girls.  

Now for the rest of the story.  Crystal and Luvee were both scheduled to get fixed earlier in the spring.  On the appointed day Luvee was no where to be found.  I rescheduled the appointment for two weeks later but still no Luvee.  Luvee was Maryanna's cat and totally heart broken she convinced me that Crystal should have at least one batch of kittens so I cancelled the appointment.  I know it may not make sense, but I followed my gut on this one and there was a whispering that it would be okay.  And so soon after losing our barn cat Pickles it is with both comfort and joy that we welcome these kittens.  

The night after Pickles was buried I had a dream about losing one of the baby chicks and having to bury it.  Then the dream continued with discussion of Crystal having kittens and how sure I was there were only going to be three kittens. In the dream the kids were arguing with me, insisting that there were going to be six.  First thing in the morning I shared the dream with my children (editing out the part about the death of a chick), and the discussion of baby kittens did offer comfort.

So the night of May 22 William noticed one of the chicks was not moving much.  Our experienced poultry neighbor suggested warming it with a hair dryer.  We did that and it drank a little water.  William kept the chick close to him but before the night was through it had drifted peacefully from its little body.  William brought it to me in tears and said "do something mom, help me!"  Oh how I wish I held the magic that they think I do. We buried it just the two of us and William found a private spot to process the loss.  

Later that evening I woke up at 12 am to the noise of coyotes that seemed closer than they should be.  There was no hint of the guard dog Polar 's barking so I nudged Paul and convinced him we had to go check on all the animals.  Polar woke up as soon as he heard us walking and we were reassured that rest of the animals were secure in their pens.  As we were walking back in I noticed Crystal was acting funny and I worried about her and the coyotes so I brought her in to sleep with Peter.  Little did I know she really was going to  give birth to six little kittens that same night.

So now the question is what are we going to do with all these kitties?!  We have decided that there are enough mice and loving arms around here that we can keep two, Peter has already decided he wants to keep kitten #1 and name it "Mousie".  The rest will be available to good homes which the kids are already praying for.

And my take away from this whole experience is to gain more confidence in my gut feelings, pay attention closer attention to my dreams and realize the significance of integrating animals into the lives of my children.

   

       

Paul shares his stories

I was tempted to use this outtake for our 2012 Christmas card, it offers a unique perspective of our family.  But when it came down to clicking the submit order button I chickened out and switched to a color photo where most everyone was smiling.

I'm happy to finally offer another perspective of life as it happens here, told by Paul.  He is a great writer - check out his new blog and enjoy! 

And thank you to my friend Jessica at fairy toes photography for taking our picture.  

Garden report 1

I took all the kids to The Hands on Museum in Ann Arbor last week.  Before checking in there we stopped at two stores but it wasn't until a bathroom break at the museum 4 hours later that I noticed the dirt streaked across my face......as if toting 8 children around by myself wasn't enough to look again and wonder.  No question I've been working hard; in addition to the dirt on my face I have at least 25 mosquito bites down each leg, mud covered overalls, new muscles popping out of my chicken arms and now photos to show for it.

This is only my second year in the garden.  Last year was tough enough to have me avoiding a garden plan until I figured out a way to make it a bit easier.  For practical reasons I'm feeling the draw of permaculture and for even more practical reasons I'm not going to jump into it over night but instead ease into it over time, using what pieces make sense to me.

These garden boxes five steps out my front door were the brilliant idea of a seasoned permaculture friend.  They were built and filled for me by Mother's day and aside from a sweet potato experiment they will house our everyday eating favorites, greens, leeks, cabbage, carrots, beets.........and whatever else I planted (I do have a record of it somewhere).

Just around the bend from the raised beds is an established bed for ornamental grasses and flowers.  I made room for 3 varieties of squash to trail out and around where ever they please.

Planning for more food around the house (zone 1), I cleared out the west bed and will set in a few tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers.  

The side porch is where most the traffic and action happens.  Beneath the porch is also where the dog and chickens like to hang out.  For that reason I have been limited in what I've been able to grow there.  All that survived from last year is a few lilies and patches of lemon balm and violets.  I hope to somehow keep the animals out and plant more herbs and flowers.
   

And here they sit waiting.......

We decided not to till the big garden this year.  It is now the spot for some permaculture experiments including these potato basket towers.  We had a fencing incident with Princess one of the one year old Nubian goats.  It required me to cut the fencing in order to untangle her leaving the fencing totally useless for goats.  I am happy we were able to repurpose it and even happier that the boys were able to complete this project totally on their own (and of course relieved Princess was not injured by her curiosity).

Next up is Clara's garden.  I told anyone who was willing to double dig and pull weeds could have their own garden any shape they wanted.  Clara was the only one who took to it.  I brought home a cherry tomato plant for her to plant alongside her flowers and she giggled, "look mom this plant loves me!  look at the way it dances in my garden".  She even brought out those red plastic cups just in case of a frost.

Way on the other side of the garden was a patch of raspberries that was infested with thistles.  We only picked a few handfuls of raspberries last year but this year we are determined.  It was a big project to trim them, move them, clean the beds, replant and mulch.  I borrowed my neighbor's garden helper Jose to assist in this project, he, James and I got it done in a long muggy day of work.  The cost of this project was a really messy house when I finally checked in with the rest of the kids inside.

Below is evidence of more experimenting.  Paul used the tractor to build these three hugelbeds.  We mixed a pile of seeds and free casted them around all side, Peter helped me and we both declared how much more fun it was than regular planting.  We covered it with straw and then we all came charging out just 30 minutes later when a handful of chickens busted through the new chicken fence and scratched and pecked over these mounds.  I'm not expecting too much from it this year but will be waiting to see how it performs the following year.  The plan is to let everything reseed itself.......... I believe it is possible.

Behind the hugelbeds you see three apples trees.  I read much about pruning and have heard equal arguments for not pruning.  That left me confused so I pruned one a lot, pruned one a little and left one totally unpruned.  I realize there are many more variables to this experiment and hope not to drive myself crazy with that.  These experiments are simply being held at an elementary level.  
  

This is last year's bean pole that we are now using as a pea pole.  I stuck in 3 different varieties and 2 are growing beautifully.  I used old baling twine for climbing and hope it is tight and strong enough.  At the top of the pole is a guard to a broken fan but I'm told a bicycle wheel works better.

Over here is where I dreamed up a mud pie kitchen.  We salvaged an old dresser from the junk pile out back and painted it the color of the barn.  The girls cooked up a few good bricks but I will have to figure out a shade solution in order to draw more customers.  I found this on pinterest but for now there are enough projects to do.

I'm only a few weeks into this garden and already feeling outnumbered by projects, plants, animals and children.  Constantly reminding myself to slow down and enjoy the process.  

Though I'm not sure the vision I had of working alongside my husband and children in the garden will ever materialize in this lifetime, I'm feeling blessed to have this opportunity to learn so much and simply hope they feel nourished by my love with what ever is harvested and served to them.