Flower and Herb Tea

I have been craving a huge gallon glass jar filled to the top with sweet flower petals, strong iced black tea and herbs, so...I made some. I went into the yard and garden and gathered organic rose petals, bee balm, mint, lemon balm and red clover blossoms and let them all steep together with the brewed tea.  After steeping, I placed the gallon jar in our egg cooler to chill. Then, I poured the ice cold tea over ice cubes and drizzled raspberry syrup in. Proof that you can make dreams into reality.  (:

Etenoha - Completed

As anyone who tries to take the art in their head and put it on paper knows, what we end up with and what our desired goal was are sometimes two different things; however I did like the completion of Etenoha or Ina Maka ~ Earth Mother. She will be in an upcoming book by my dear friend, Nicole Tichy, titled Wheel of Light Energy, which is due for publication this fall. I will update you when it comes out and we can see Etenoha inside the book~ (:

In The Moment - Work...and Joy

~ ~ ~ June ~ ~ ~

Month of cakes, roses, weddings, love, moonlight, refracting sunlight in little pools of happy water. 

Month of sleepy mornings, open promises, beautiful beginnings. 

June - 

My favorite month.

And yet, like the William Waterhouse painting above, my June is an unfinished event. I am working so diligently to finish projects, align creative ideas, bring artistic piles to fruition and all the while I am aware that the art and joy is in the doing, not the finishing.

May you see the beauty in the unfinished work of your life and of this June, month of fresh promises, month of fleeting time, month of Joy!

June ~ Eight Weeks in Seven Days

During April and May, here in Dexter, Michigan, it rained for what seemed like 8 weeks. I say 'seemed', but I'm pretty sure it rained almost every day and night. At the end of May, there were ducks in yards and rivers where we had never expected them to materialize. Lo and behold, the clouds parted and the rains stopped. Eight weeks behind on planting our corn and soybeans, the mainstay of our farm, we are running around like chickens with their heads cut off (pardon the term, but we 'do' look like this right now) trying to 'fit' fields, plant seeds, haul manure to the field before we plant, move pastured animals, make sure we have food for next year by dropping seeds in rows in the huge garden, and a billion other small details.

Did I mention that the hens decided to have an egg laying marathon? ha.

Work. I am never bored.

I just wanted to say hello to all my blogeautiful friends out there and to tell you that I have not abandoned writing. No no no. In fact, I have more writing projects going on than you can shake a rain soaked stick at! (:

As soon as all our precious and crunchi-licious non-GMO veggies are tucked safely in the garden, and the last flower is artfully placed in the front yard, I will settle down here with a huge mason jar of iced sweet tea and tell you all about it, for June is my favorite month. (Did I ever tell you that I am a vegetable-a-holic? Yes, I am. And, I don't want to be cured. I'm not a vegetarian, I do eat meat. Yes, a true vegetable-a-holic in which I had my first addiction brought on by a drought of vegetables when I was an undergraduate.

But, back to June. Non non No! That doesn't do her justice, since June is the pinnacle of my year. Let me try that again...June is my FAVORITE month!!! Yes, I love the roses, the fresh plants and birds and insects. I love the butterflies and the bursting forth of life in full 3D touching all five senses.

In June I decorate the house with roses. Fresh roses, dried roses, rose bundles. And, we have tea. Not just afternoon tea, but June Tea. Sweet tea with little cakes decorated with blossoms and frosted violet leaves. For June is the month of sweetness and romance. June is the month I was born. June is the Summer Solstice and the month of ripe full moons hanging low and perfume-y in the sky.

Yes, I will sit down and write to you all...just as soon as those hens decide to call it quits to the iron-chicken triathlon....

Blustery Weather

This spring promises a later Easter than we have had in a long time (this coming Sunday), and yet the trees have not opened their little leaves and the weather here in Michigan is very very cold and very blustery. As I type, my fingers are numb from filling the wood box. Yes, we are still using our wood cook stove in the kitchen. I am wearing a wool sweater. And, speaking of wool. I tried to capture a wonderful picture of Charlotte and her first lamb, but the lighting has been so dim that it turned out quite poor. Here, below, is the picture, taken in the barn, of Charlotte and her little lamb. Oh, but look at that little head, so sweet! And, those big big ears.

Lambs, if you have ever held them, make the sweetest 'snuffling' sound when they are just but a few days old. Snuffle snuffle. Oh, I do love him....
And, here is a picture of a Ewe and babe that I found on the Internet (and can't remember where for the life of me). I love it though, and hope one day to provide my readers with such lovely ewe and lamb pictures.

Stay warm if you are anywhere near Michigan. Me,??? I'm so behind on my work I could drown in it, but I am going to burn the midnight oil and also give myself a reward of some reading time afterwards. I received two delicious new books in the mail today...by John O'Donohue, Anam Cara and To Bless The Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings. I can't wait to delve into these. Alas, I have many dear customers awaiting their soaps and candles and artwork that has a deadline and writings to complete, not to mention fun projects I want to accomplish with the children (sewing doll clothes with Amanda and moving around the seedlings under the grow lite with Albert), gardens that need much attention and jars of milk in the cooler awaiting their turn at cheese. sigh. Oh for more hours in the day!

Shepherdess

Our ewe, Charlotte, gave birth to her first little lamb today...a boy who looks just like his daddy, S'more. Mom and lamb are doing wonderful. I am over the moon happy with being a shepherdess. My flock may be small, but it is growing and I am happy. I will post pictures of the wild and wooly family tomorrow!

Spring?

Spring? Is it you? Are you here? I don't believe it, but I hope it's true. (:

When I Close My Eyes, All I See Are Baby Goats...

Exciting News!!!!!

The Baby Goats Have Arrived!!!!!

Last Wednesday and Thursday we witnessed the birth of our first goat kids!

Fiona gave birth to a singlet doeling whom we have named Celeste.

Like mother like daughter; don't they look identical?

Fiona is a proud and very caring mama!

And, the next morning, dear Amelia gave birth to triplet boys! All spotty and sweet.

We have named them Jupiter (Joop for short), Zaphyeer and currently...no-name. Still working on the littlest one's name as he looks just like his mama and we have been ill-mannered-ly calling him 'little Amelia'. Not a very masculine thing for a buckling (;

Zaphyeer and 'no-name' testing out their legs.

Jupiter is a big boy....moon spots and all!

Beautiful and perfect...still wet behind the ears. Look ma, I can stand! (:

All are doing very well and happy and healthy! What a joy! I'm hooked on Nubian goats! When I close my eyes, all I see are their little velvety sweet heads! (: Too much fun~

I Come In The Little Things...

I come in the little things,
Saith the Lord:
Yea, on the glancing wing
Of eager birds,
the softly pattering feet
Of furred and gentle beasts.
I come in the little things,
Saith the Lord:
Not borne on the morning's wings
Of majesty,
but I have set My feet
Amidst the delicate and bladed wheat.
I come in the little things,
Saith the Lord. Amen.

-Evelyn Underhill

This beautiful little poem is compliments of Bethany Tudor's (daughter of Tasha) book, Drawn From New England. It has always brought tears to my eyes. It is beautiful and real. The little things. Don't forget them, for they are what this beautiful world is made up of. And, all too often, we overlook the little things until it is too late, then they are gone from our world.

Make room, and time, for the little things.

Etenoha - The Feminine as Art

Etenoha: Our Mother, the Earth. The feminine earth name of the Native Americans. The Lakota call her Ina Maka.

This is a small peek (with just one eye, mind you!) of an artwork in progress. I am not going to divulge her completely until all is done. I apologize for the graininess of the picture...I must invest in a scanner.

May you feel the ground beneath your feet and rest peacefully under the stars as our seasons shift from Winter to Spring in a few weeks time.

My First Blog Award

I am very pleased to announce that I have been graciously awarded my very first blog award by Jenny of Sheepy Hollow Farm. The goal of the Liebster Award recognizes creative/crafty blogs with less than 300 followers and shares them with others.

Upon accepting this award you agree to:
1) Blog about the Liebster award & reveal your 3 blog picks;
2) Let the recipients know that you chose them;
3) Copy & paste the blog award on your blog.


Thank you ever so much to my dear online friend and kindred spirit, Jenny of Sheepy Hollow Farm. Jenny loves all of the same things that are dear to my heart and raises sheep and goats too. Stop on over to her site and take a look. She is one busy, creatively inspiring woman!

Part of the Liebster Award denotes that you recognize three other bloggers who have outstanding sites and have under 300 followers. So, on that note, I pass the Liebster Award on to:

Julia Guthrie at East of the Sun, West of the Moon. Her artwork is magical and she has a splendidly inspiring website!

Maureen Anderson and family at The Fullness Thereof, Hearthside Farms. If you are looking for 'get your hands dirty and get back to basics while living a charmingly beautiful life' tips...this is the place to be!

and

Marqueta, at a site so beautiful, feminine and gracious, it looks to be straight out of the pages of an old Victoria magazine...Sweete Felicity.

Please have fun looking at all these lovely, inspiring sites. And, thank you for taking time to stop by and enjoy a word or two here!

High Feline Tea, Butter, Goddesses and the Divine Feminine

King Ulysses says 'hello!' (: He has been partial to taking naps next to Raggedy Anne this winter. Too adorable. He is the Romeo of the barn around here lately. (And if you look closely, you can see that Amanda has adorned him with her 'royal' locket as well).

Last year, at this time, we were successfully harvesting maple sap for syrup. This year, winter still has us firmly in his icy grips. So, while the snow still flies, I am catching up. Both in my home and on the computer. Here are some photos of what we have been doing for the past two months around the farm and in my 'Happy Peasant' world. Enjoy!

Building 'Snow Goats' (Nubian, of course!)

Tea Parties With the Cats! (and for the cats, as well)

Smartie is dressed in a fine frock for tea,

and Abbey, our resident barn calico, gets spoiled with high feline tea!!!

~Making Butter from Organic Milk!~

So fresh and so fun.

Nothing like making your own food AND knowing where it came from.

Transferring honey from one jar to the next, some with comb, some without, some with herbs in them...




























Plum Cordial, made in the late autumn...being finished off during this hunger moon.

It is spectacular mixed with sparkling Pellegrino water from Italy.




























Homemade Valentines. Always...always homemade.

We have a huge 'Valentine' box that is crammed full of floral papers, lace, trims, glitter, old Victorian cat calendars and ephemera for making homemade Valentines. It is a must in our family to 'make' your Valentine.













































I have been relentlessly pursuing some artistic butterflies that I cannot scatter from the creative center of my mind. My Create 365 stares me in the face daily. I know, full well. that creating meals, love and a clean home all count, but this does not deter me from feeling a pang of sadness that I cannot create a new sketch or painting each day. However, I have continued to paint and am working on some very inspiring artwork in regards to the mythic goddess, the goddess as art, the goddess as feminine, and the stories surrounding all her many existences. I've also been reading and studying about the divine feminine and all the writings, stories, songs surrounding it. There is much more to tell here, but with a huge project on the horizon incorporating all these goddess/feminine creations, I will leave it to your imaginations until the project has reached fruition.

And, while all these little daily joys go on, I am noticing that the sun is up longer and the days seem to be filled with more light. The mist in the morning accompanies the spring song of resident birds, snow or not...and the maple sap will most assuredly flow in the days to come.

The seasons tilt forward, creaking one into the next. It seems the older I get the faster time goes, and also the faster winter goes. Funny, I always expected to dislike winter as I became older, but it is becoming quite the opposite. A secret wisdom to share with you: Winter is a luxury of such rest and quiet, I would love to have two more months of the 'time' that it affords (minus the snow), if you catch my drift (no pun intended for all of my Michigan readers).

Ah the drifts and the glitter of 20 degree snow under moonlight.

Enjoy this last bit of winter before the busy season arrives.

Soon we will have baby goats and chicks and lambs (and some piglets are on the horizon too!).

Soap making must resume quickly, barns must be readied, seeds and supplies need ordering. But, let me sneak just one more tiny afternoon with a stack of books, a warm wool blanket and a pot of Darjeeling, dear Winter? Thank you ever so much.

The Hands of the Clock (Winged Like Cupid)

It seems the hands on all my clocks have acquired wings...like Cupid. They fly faster than I can run. Ah, but Happy Valentine's Day!

Things I am loving about today:

That the wind has been blowing for days and making all the wind chimes at the back door sing day and night!

That there are patches of blue sky in between fast moving cold clouds.

That we are above freezing temperature for this first time in MONTHS.

That there is (still) a stack of delicious books waiting for me to delve into next to my favorite reading corner in the cozy living room.

That I am inspired.

More soon. Hugs and Valentines to you!

On Paper

What I have been doing:

Cleaning
~
Organizing
~
Lightening my Load (Less Stuff/Less Worries)
~
Making Granola
~
Steaming Veggies
~
Feeling The Warm Sun Through The Window
~
Watching Snow Fall
~
Stoking The Fire
~
Wearing Wool
~
Feeding Cats
~
Writing on Paper
(I'm taking a small detour/break from blogging in the 'traditional' sense and will be taking some time doing some quiet writing for my self...old style....)

Soothing Vegetable Chili Recipe

Soothing Vegetable Chili

2-3 T Butter or Olive Oil
2 Medium Onions, minced
4 Cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 C. Celery, minced
32 Ounce Can/Jar of Tomatoes
2 Cans of Beans (Pinto and/or Kidney, do not drain)
1/2 Package of Frozen Corn
1 Can Vegetarian Refried Beans
1 Can Tomato Paste (Optional)


In large large stock pot brown onions and minced garlic in 2-3 T butter or olive oil. Add 1/2 cup minced celery. Saute together.
Add beans (I like one of pinto/one kidney, undrained), tomatoes and corn.
Season with cumin, pepper and salt to taste. Stir in one can vegetarian refried beans.
(If thicker chili is desired, add one can of tomato paste. Bring to slow boil, stirring frequently, reduce heat and simmer until ready to serve.)

Serves 4-6

Serve with crackers and canned fruit (peaches) for dessert (:

Feathered Friend - Completed

The oil paint finally dried and I was able to apply the last touches on my oil painting. Encaustic beeswax with oil paint. The entire encaustic process was so fun. I was immediately transported back to Kindergarten. Sitting at the table with all the other children, I reached into the crayon box and pulled out a full white crayon. While the other children switched colors, I intently colored with the one white crayon, adding layer upon layer, discovering the texture and delighting in my discovery! The wax of the crayon built up in beautiful ridges! "Look! Look everyone", I thought, "I have discovered something." My excited Kindergarten mind thought surely that the teacher would stop at my drawing, hold it up and proclaim it a crayon marvel...a first time masterpiece.... I fully expected her to instruct the entire class to color with only one crayon and to exclaim, "look what Amy has discovered. The world of crayon coloring in Kindergarten will never be the same!!!"

Alas, this did not occur. But, I have never forgotten that 'aha' moment. And, while working with the oil paint and encaustic beeswax medium I, again, felt the same exhilaration. The oil paint became 'movable' and living. The wax added a layer of depth and age at the same time. Very enjoyable. I highly recommend it.

The Hunger Moon

Yesterday, as I was gathering eggs in the old henhouse, the light was dim and dark and I was certain that I had been sent back in time to Charles Dickens' world. The dark wood and the barren surroundings implied it all too well. As I grabbed the warm brown eggs out of each nest, I realized that the hens had drastically cut their egg production in almost half in the past few days, due to the extreme cold weather. And, it was then that I remembered we had entered what was/is commonly termed by the Native Americans, The Hunger Moon. The Hunger moon is the time of year when fresh food fed by green pasture and flowing spring is meager. When the last of the meat is being used up and the body begins to crave the vitamins and plentiful bounty of spring and summer. Dairy animals are due to give birth soon, and so the milk is not yet available. All things are low, the earth is cold and sleeping and the light is dark to, at best, dim.

With this Hunger Moon upon us, I feel a special need to share some of my favorite winter farm and field recipes with you. So, while I wait for my 'Create 182.5...um, I mean Create 365' paintings to dry, I will be posting some comfort food to warm the soul, feed the body and keep us healthy until the waters and the sun flow and shine once more.

Feathered Friend

With my 365 Create I am learning that art projects take more than one day, due to drying time, layering or simply having to run out and get more supplies (: Here is my oil painting, 'Feathered Friend' still drying in phase II, and ready for it's finishing touches which will occur in phase III. Then I will move on to my next idea (trust me, I have a list a mile long of projects just jumping off the page to be created!).

Create 365

Last year, I came up with the idea to have a 'Create 365' project. Where I 'created' one project or piece of art each day and then photographed it and shared it online. I think this is a great motivating idea for staying creative. However, I've joked that it should be revised to 'Create 182.5' (: (One every other day).

With 2011, I am beginning Create 365, and will share my latest creations with you!

Happy New Year! Happy Creating, from The Happy Peasant! (:

The Layers (a poem)

I have walked through many lives,
some of them my own, and I am not who I was,
though some principle of being
abides, from which I struggle
not to stray.
When I look behind,
as I am compelled to look
before I can gather strength
to proceed on my journey,
I see the milestones dwindling
toward the horizon
and the slow fires trailing
from the abandoned camp-sites,
over which scavenger angels
wheel on heavy wings.
Oh I have made myself a tribe
out of my true affections,
and my tribe is scattered!
How shall the heart be reconciled
to its feast of losses?
In a rising wind
the manic dust of my friends,
those who fell along the way,
bitterly stings my face.
Yet I turn, I turn,
exulting somewhat
with my will intact to go
wherever I need to go,
and every stone on the road
precious to me.
In my darkest night,
when the moon was covered
and I roamed through the wreckage,
a nimbus-clouded voice
directed me:
"Live in the layers
not on the litter."
Though I lack the art
To decipher it,
no doubt the next chapter
in my book of transformations
is already written.
I'm not done with my changes.

─ Stanley Kunitz