Black Walnut Day

Black walnut day in October. 

Rain in peaty browns.

Rivulets on top of leaves. 

Black walnuts, ready.  

Air so cold, 

fingertips feel numb. 

Black walnut day, in October.

Goat Girls Get Ultrasounds (: (Silly, I Know)

If...if you had told me ten years ago that I would one day be calling a vet to come out to the farm and perform ultrasounds on goats...I would have laughed you off the face of this planet. But, that is just what I did this past week. Amelia and Fiona, my two main Nubian milk goats, were starting to come into milk and this during the week they were supposed to leave to be bred! What to do? I couldn't imagine that they would be pregnant (Amelia had triplet boys in March and I separated them at 12 weeks). It was heard of, but not common. Still, I couldn't send them off to be bred 'if' they were pregnant...and they had to be bred on time or there would be no milk in the spring. What to do? Call the vet. Oh, for a picture. I wish I had taken a picture.

Goat, on stanchion, munching her grain. Vet, with ultrasound wand and fluid and little electronic ultrasound box screen....  Did I mention that a goat ultrasound shows much of their goat insides that digest all that hay they eat? Well, there, I did. Anyhow. No goat kids/no secret mystery pregnancies. Breeding continues as planned.

It turns out that milk goats tend to be what is called 'precocious'. That is, they can come into milk, sometimes without even being bred, and produce milk for years this way.

Tomorrow, the two of them will go to visit their gentlemen goats for a few weeks and Mr. S'more will get to visit the Ewe ladies.

Aren't you glad you stopped here to ready today? A little birds and bees blogging. (:

Busy day of apple sales. Very hot here in Michigan for October 8th! 80 degrees. 4 different sets of family friends stopped today to visit, and the phone rang from out of state...all at the very same time.

The moon is shining brightly in the twinkling night sky. The chickens are calling softly out to each other on their perches in the coops. The goats are ruminating.  The children are tucked into bed.

I am tired.

Thanks to everyone who voted for Lesser Farms in the cider contest. We are in 2nd place and it ends tonight. Thank you for taking the time. We appreciate it. Thank you, too, for supporting small family farms. And remember, to try and buy organic food anytime you can. Every little bit helps.

October 3 - More Short Notes

The sun is the protagonist today...playing front and center in the autumn warmth, Indian Summer. Ladybugs are out in droves, landing on arms and face, biting sometimes. It is okay; we soak up the sun while we can.

Two of my does are 'mysteriously' coming into milk...one day before being taken to see the 'gentlemen goats' for breeding /:  Further details as we unravel this, ahem, goat mystery.

My list was excessively long for groceries and errands this morning. I have been holed up selling apples and working here. I didn't make all my stops, but did treat myself to a container of my favorite raw chocolate from Arbor Farms natural foods store in Ann Arbor and managed to procure meat, bread and milk in lieu of the two loaves I baked on Saturday, the steer that is due to be sent to market on Wednesday and the, ahem, goat mystery.

More details to follow on these happenings. (:

PS: Our farm, Lesser Farms & Orchard, has been nominated for the Best Cider Award from Ann Arbor.com! We have until this Friday to garner enough votes to win. If you would like to vote, you can do so at www.annarbor.com/bestof

Thanks so much! We hear from lots of people how they think our cider is the absolute best, but it would be great to win an award to prove it! (:

PPS: For some reason, spellcheck is not working on blogger, so please excuse any typos. (:

Long Shadows - Short on Time

So very busy, this autumn season is. With apples, cider, harvest, school. Too much, really. My writing has been scarce. The words roll around in my mind, waiting for my feet to stop and to be put on paper, or here.

Lack of time is plentiful, and so I will write short notes until my feet can move slower and the world rests for the winter.

October 1, 2011

The sun is more golden this afternoon and I notice the shadows have changed. The leaves on the trees clack with a knowing that frost will soon be here. Birds sing only the necessary songs.

I gathered goldenrod to dye the wool with. Washing wool and finally putting it out in the crisp fall air to dry.

Unloaded a truckload of pumpkins with Amanda and gathered a half bushel of chestnuts with Albert.

The help for the day served themselves from a dish of homemade lasagna and a fresh apple pie.

The chill was unmistakable in the air tonight. Woodsmoke fills the air here and there and it is time to have the woolens out of the drawers.

Picked the leeks from the garden and will make leek potato soup when time allows.

October 2, 2011

Sun is bright and air is windy and crisp. It will be another very busy day. Served fried oatmeal squares with our own maple syrup, strong coffee and cider for everyone to drink (well, not coffee for the children) (:

Back to the apple room, the eggs and making soap.

Stepping Off The Train

And so, September has arrived. I have said it before, but, the changing of these seasons..? Summer, she reminds me of a beautiful visitor from afar packing her bags to leave us after so many lovely months of carefree fun, laughter and dinner parties. We begged her to stay, but she has other duties elsewhere. She promises to return again next year, though a little older and wiser. 

September, he has already stepped off the train and is shaking hands with everyone, smart and serious in his tailored tweed suit.

"Goodbye Summer." We wave her off with tears in the corners of our eyes. Swallowing hard, we know we must do what we must, and so resolutely attend to the tasks at hand, with September offering his punctual and necessary attendance.

I am sure I'm not the only soul who feels this way. It does not get any easier as the years go by, does it?

Happy September to all the beautiful poetic souls who may stop here to shake hands with the man in the tweed suit, and to wave Summer off on her journey.

Tasha Tudor Day ~ Part II

Tasha Tudor was a traditionalist and yet, Tasha Tudor was a revolutionary. ~

 ~~~~~

"What?", you say..."Tasha, a revolutionary?". 

Yes. You see, while she chose to live as though she were in the 1820's, she also 'chose' to live as she desired. Which, for her time, was revolutionary.  

I think, too often, when we try to emulate Tasha with our homes and our lives, that we become automatic carbon copies of her and feel as though something is missing. I can tell you what that is. It is your own signature style and your own twist to 'living as you choose.' Which, by the way, I am certain Tasha would highly approve of.

In that respect, I would like to share some beautiful clothing that I love. I believe these are very Tasha-ensian and would pass her approval. Feminine and billowing, beautiful yet artistic. I would love to collect more of them. 

Let us remember Tasha for her contribution to the world of beautiful things, but let us, also, not cease in bringing our own beautiful things to the table.

Please do join me in celebrating the joy of beauty...the joy of being feminine.

Take Joy ~ Take Peace ~ 

And, please enjoy wearing skirts if you are so blessed as to be a woman!

Take Joy - Take Peace - Happy Tasha Tudor Day!

Today, August 28, 2011, is Tasha Tudor Day! In honor of the birthday of the beloved illustrator and author, Tasha Tudor. Please take a moment today, to join us in remembering Tasha's beautiful and authentic ways of living. We will be posting pictures and snippets of the ways we incorporate her beautiful ideas into our daily life, and will be having a special Tea today, as well. Check back for pictures, recipes, ideas and thoughts. And as Tasha would have said, "Take Joy!!!".

Beauty and Comfort - The Feminine Home

A while back I was so happy to stumble across a beautiful and charming publication called The Feminine Home Magazine. This magazine was FILLED with romantic pages the likes of the (old) Victoria magazines that we all remember and chock full of roses roses roses. Imagine my surprise when the creator of the magazine, artist Jo-Anne Coletti, invited me to write for the magazine as well!

The Feminine Home magazine has no advertisements. It is a superb high quality glossy 'book-a-zine' that you will definitely want to add to your decorating collection and to use as a resource for your home. It is also perfect for sitting down to read and dream with a cup of tea.

Romantic Artist Jo-Anne Coletti, who creates the magazine writes:

The Feminine Home Magazine

Where The Heart Is.

Vintage Rose Collection Exclusive!

THE FEMININE HOME-Where The Heart Is- Embraces the heart and soul of a woman. It is a singular place where loveliness resides and the language of romance and poetry lives; a home that coaxes an extraordinary life that is enduring, purposeful and distinctly feminine. Rooms are presented in noble sophistication that is rich in tradition, yet casually fashioned. It is pretty, not fussy, spiritual and earthy. Flowers are painted with sweetness. Decorative flourishes, ornamental borders, penned verses and tender poems all mingle to orchestrate a pensive bucolic beauty. Cottons and velvets, crystal chandeliers and whitewashed walls, scrubbed wooden floors, simple furnishings and objects from the garden; these are the elements that make a romantic home.

This is a gorgeous, full color 128 page magazine with thick, high quality paper, with superb printing (Best I have seen)!  Filled with beautiful romantic homes, painted roses, poems, and inspiring devotionals to nurture a woman's soul. 

This is no throw-away ladies- It is more like a book you won't want to put down. No advertisements or ads!  A keeper that you will go back to again and again for inspiration. Order your copy now while supplies last!

 by Jo-Anne Coletti

Thank you for allowing me to introduce you to the grace and beauty that my friend, Jo-Anne, has created. I am happy to share it with you!

The Feminine Home magazine is a treasure of photo journalism on the faded charms and lovely gracious living of romantic decorating.

If you would like to learn more about ordering copies for yourself or for your shoppe, please click here:

http://www.vintagerosecollection.com/Feminine%20Home%20Magazine2.html

The first edition of The Feminine Home is also available, at the link above. And, you can pre-order a beautifully packed Christmas issue as well!

Saving Seeds of Basil, Ratatouille and Summer's End

A honey customer stopped on our porch today to chat for a while. She asked me if I knew that when Basil seeds out at the end of the summer that you can 'gather' the seeds by drying the basil and separating the tiny black seeds. She then plants them, both scattering them in the fall and saving some for spring, and has her own profuse patch of basil every single year! I don't know why, with all the seed saving we do, that I had never considered basil.  So, I wanted to pass this basil seed advice on.

Right now there is a small kettle of garden ratatouille on the stove. I make it with whatever is in season. This pot contains zucchini, brandywine tomatoes, fresh garlic and onion, olive oil, and a small eggplant.

We will serve it in pottery bowls with a hot pepper on the side to season it with and some chewy homemade chapati bread, which is really very simple and much much healthier and more delicious than the 'flour tortillas and pita breads' that we are relegated to purchasing in the store.

The goat girls are being dried up for breeding season, which I hope to begin one month earlier this autumn.  A small amount of milk has been procured this evening, and it is chilling in the cooler. I think it will compliment the simple summer meal, as the rays of sun reaching through the west windows of the house remind me that autumn is not far off.

End of summer, you always break my heart, leaving much before I am ready for you to go. You leave us with sand shovels in our hands staring up at you with a dazed surprised look on our faces. "Already??",  we whine and stomp! "Noooo."

And you leave us with tiny pink bathing suits haphazardly dangling from clothing lines. You depart, and we are reminded of your exodus with  the detritus of popsicle boxes in the freezer and flip flops and sand encrusted crocs scattered across the porch. You startle us too, for we were certain that you would go on forever and ever, and that we could run, jump, dive, splash, giggle, somersault, sleep, stretch and relax forever.

Would you stay if we threw a tantrum? Would you stay if we promised to wear our sunscreen and didn't complain about the mosquitoes? Why do you have to go?

And, why do you take a little bit of that rare magical land of childhood with you every summer when you leave?  I will never understand you, Summer. Never. I love you, but I will never understand you. 

Pure Summer Joy

This is a picture of our daughter, gleefully sprinting off a dock into the lake...

8-year-old-pure-unbridled-joy style!

May your summer be this full of spontaneous happiness and splashing in the heat!

Hot Searing Heat

It is so hot here in Michigan (100 degrees right now) that you could fry an egg on the sidewalk (my dad used to tell me that when he was a boy in Baghdad, this was so...and I've loved this phrase since...). Stay cool...and please, pass the ice.

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.