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Fifty Acres and a Poodle | Posted by alisha on 19 Jun 2009 seasons
I have been doing a lot of reading lately since I find myself sitting in the "nursing chair" something like five or six times a day. I never really thought of myself as an "avid reader" because I never had the time. Sitting still time is now something I seem to have in abundance 
It's kind of nice - like the most valid excuse for reading imaginable. Ii don't even feel guilty for "not getting anything done".
So, one of the many books I’ve been enjoying lately is, Fifty Acres and a Poodle, by Jeanne Marie Laskas. It's a great biographical story about her buying a farm and becoming "country folk". The reason I bring this all up is because a section I read today stood out so much to me I had to share it:
And beyond that [the muddy fields outside the window]: spring. That's one thing you can count on. You can never know what's next in your life, but you can know that spring comes after winter. You can trust, even though it looks impossible right now, that the green and pink and purple will come. You can trust the rhythm of the seasons.
Are there other seasons, rhythms? Color and sounds we can't see or hear? There must be. There must be hundreds of them going on all at once. I think of . . . drought and flood, of fire and wind, of tornadoes and meteor showers, all kinds of rhythms playing some syncopated beat we can't hear, much less understand. A rhythm heard only by angels, perhaps . . . only by souls over centuries, for all we know.
Isn’t that beautiful? I felt an instant connection to her - I felt exactly this way as I waited for spring and all it's glory to come this year. And now here I am, knee deep in it - mud, flowers, fruit (cherries!!!), bugs, sun, rain . . . it’s amazing. I remember looking out at our backyard and all the "deadness", you know, the muted browns, and no life (at least none I could see) and thinking, "is spring really coming again? It’s kind of hard to believe right now."
And each season of our lives feels this way too. I spend so much time just gazing at Holland, doing anything for his smiles or staring at his bright blue eyes. I soak up every, "I wuv you, mom." from Isabel and I smile at her three-year-old cuteness. I look at Elena and how tall she is, and what a problem solver, and such a thinker, and I marvel. Was she ever really my baby? And then there is Ed. What a wonderful man he is. I watched him this evening as we weeded the okra and soybeans. He is handsome, strong and so loving. His beard is going white and his smiles are contagious. And I was thinking, “We made this little backyard heaven together and it has brought us such joy.”
And now spring is here and I am in love.Comments: Add | View (2) | Permalink
Picture Update, Again | Posted by alisha on 16 Jun 2009 June 14 2009
once again, the pictures have piled up and i can't think to compose a good post to go with them. so, peruse the gallery and i hope you enjoy this little update.Comments: Add | PermalinkSpeaking from Experience | Posted by alisha on 08 Jun 2009okay, so i have not posted in a while . . . again . . . and i think it's because i'm posting over at hewettgarden instead (ya know, 'cause pretty much all i'll do from now until october will be gardening . . . and a little mommying).
BUT, a couple of friends have asked me about food processors lately and i felt that i should type it out instead of talking to them for ridiculous amounts of time about a subject that is, perhaps, not so interesting (. . . my apologies for the long and rambling phone call the other day alyssa).
I've owned a few food processors and i use them at least a few times a week (more during the summer months) so i am speaking from experience when i say - buy the 20 dollar one!
Here are some reasons why:
Black & Decker Food Processor:
- only $20 bucks at BB&B
-super simple to use and easy to clean
-comes with all the basic features, grates, slices and purees.
-BUT sometimes the slice/grate function didn't handle harder things like cheddar cheese or the end of a zucchini would get stuck - not a huge deal, but a little bothersome.
-large cup capacity - this sped up my salsa making by days - i kid you not.
-served me well for two years, BUT the plastic is cheap (duh, $20) and so i broke multiple pieces and glued them multiple times.
-AND if you're chopping nuts or frozen stuff then it's pretty noisy.
tiny food-chopper:
-yes, it is small so it is easy to store and takes up no counter space.
-very convenient for small jobs, such as one onion or 1/2 cup chopped almonds.
-BUT, the blades wore out too soon since i chop a lot of nuts so it got to the point where it was having trouble chopping an onion - yeah.
-i do large jobs as often as small ones and pureeing 1 lb of cooked black beans takes forever in a 1/2cup capacity chopper.
-and the plastic was cheap (of course) so it was cracked in a couple places since i drop things often. . . BUT it still worked fine and i kept it around until. . .
Kitchenaid Food Processor:
- has both a large and small cup so i got rid of both the old, cracked ones - down to one appliance
-BUT it has a whole separate box of tools/attachments so basically i still have two things to store.
-it is sooooo quiet. i almost can't hear it, even when i chop nuts and frozen fruit.
-BB&B sales guy tells me it is made out of super-tough plastic that i can't crack. i've dropped it twice since i got it in January, and it is still whole - big plus.
- BUT the sloped sides don't seem to help it process the food thoroughly - i mean, the stuff doesn't fall down to the blades, it gets pushed up on the sides and i have to scrape it down often to get everything pureed.
-also, it's not as simple to clean since the designer obviously didn't think anyone would actually process food in it - it gets dirty in the tiniest places. . .
- supposedly, the motor is really good and kitchenaid has great customer service, BUT the darn thing cost almost $200 and i mean really, couldn't i just keep replacing my $20 one every two years for the next 10 years and i'd be fine?
So there you have it. Main things to consider:
-Price
-cup capacity
-tools/attachments/functions
-washablilty
-noise level
Good luck to you and if you need recipe ideas once you get one and don't know what to use it for - just ask
Comments: Add | View (3) | PermalinkHolland's Chicken Quilt | Posted by alisha on 29 May 2009 Chicken Quilt
My super-crafty cousin gave us a beautiful quilt last year. (thanks, corrie!!) i believe she said it was in honor of our egg-laying chickens
months ago, when i was nesting like crazy and trying to decorate holland's room, i was stumped by one very empty wall. i didn't want any furniture there, and i didn't want to purchase any large prints or frames. no mirror - i really didn't want a second view of a rather un-impressive wall across from this one. oh what to do?
then i thought, "maybe a pretty curtain or something like that? . . .". and it must have been divine intervention 'cause i thought of the chicken quilt that was hanging, folded, over a couch in our front room. in this state, only a few chicken blocks could be seen and i felt it criminal to put it on my bed since no one would see it but me.
so one curtain rod and a few curtain clips later i had a gorgeous wall. and here is the best part - holland LOVES this quilt. as you can see, the nursing chair (compliments of jed & aleta - thanks guys!) is right in front of the quilt. so every time i burp holland over my shoulder, or he finishes eating and just wants to lay there and look around, he can stare at his quilt. The Chicken Quilt usually elicits some impressive smiles and is quite the time filler - he'll lay down near it and stare for 10 min or more
now i just need something interesting above the changing table
Comments: Add | View (2) | PermalinkPicture Update | Posted by alisha on 28 May 2009 Sneezing
I know, I know, i do this a lot. sorry. i think i have writer's block at least i'm back into taking pictures (maybe that's because the sun is shining, so the lighting is better? just excuses).
i have taken lots of pictures lately, here are a few. when i get over my writer's block, there will be even more pictures on my new, "other blog". if you want to follow our garden stories (which will now be showcased elsewhere as well) just send me an email and i'll send you the link.
hope you enjoy the pictures! Comments: Add | View (1) | Permalink Next page >>