To brew a mead, one must be patient. One must be willing to brew a beverage that can take years to develop and mature. Yes, I said years. Patience has its place in life. Instant gratification also has its place, and that is what homebrewing cider and beer is for. I had been wanting to make a mead for a very long time, so I figured if I could be patient to begin making it ...
Dream Big Dreams
I just finished this wall hanging for my friend Logan's birthday. She turned 12 this weekend, and has just decided she wants to hike the Pacific Crest Trail within the next couple of years with her dad. Her dream was inspired by a dayhike we went on for a few miles along the P.C.T. to see South Cinder Peak on a recent backpacking trip, so I needlefelted all the peaks and lakes we encountered ...
The Mountains are Calling
I would like to introduce you all to an inspiring artist, seamstress, childhood preservationist and appreciator of mountains, Kristy Davis. She lives and works in Sequim, Washington at the foot of the Olympic Mountain Range (my beloved homeland), where she creates amazing dresses for her business, The Sixth Day of May. She recently posted the above photograph, and it so ...
Miss Thena’s Easy Applesauce
This post goes out in honor of my friend Thena, who got herself a homestead this weekend. She's been working hard towards it for YEARS and when I was up in Washington visiting her in June, she showed me around this lovely bank-owned acreage with an orchard, outbuildings, chicken coop, a pond, fenced pasture, and a woodstove. She and her partner had just made their offer on it that day and ...
Chicken Folks Unite!
It has been a really busy week around here, but I had to share this bit of chicken inspiration that came my way. A friend of mine shared this photo from Fresh Eggs Daily on Facebook, and it led me to Yvette's blog, which is lovely! When I have a little more down time, I am going to spend more time looking around on this site, but I encourage all you fellow chicken folks out there to check it ...
September Harvest
It's harvest time, and now that I've shown you the macrocosm of the organic farm around me, I'll share some of my favorite things happening in my own modern micro homestead. First off, there is the rainbow of potatoes the kids and I dug up the other evening. I tried to plant the most colorful array possible, and cram them into a fairly small area. It seems the gophers thought this patch of ...
A Mountain Hearth Wall Hanging
It's the peak of backpacking season, and with glorious weather and scarce mosquitoes, it's a fine time to be in the high country. I've done a lot of lower elevation trips this season, but I am still hoping to squeeze in just one more trip up into the mountains before Winter sets in. I needlefelted this wool wall hanging with that longing for mountains in my ...
Farmers Know the Dirt!
Harvest time is rolling in, and I am enjoying the experience of living right in the middle of the activity on this 20 acre farm. Cheerful folks come and go from the orchards picking fruit, boxes of organic produce keep accumulating and moving around, piles of garlic husk mound up by chairs in the shade, and the mechanical serenade of the tractor engine drifts around in the background. It ...
Of Mountains and Women
"The hearts of mountains and the hearts of women Are both the same. They beat to an old rhythm, an old song. Mountains and women are made from the sinew of the rock Mountains and women are home to the spirits of the earth. Mountains and women are created with beauty all around. Mountains and women embrace the mystery of life. Mountains give patience to women. Women give fullness ...
Another Wild Night on the Farm
I have a favorite magnet on my refrigerator that says "Wild Women Don't Get the Blues." Well, I can tell you that I still get the blues, but they can always be worked through via late night canning with a delicious beverage. Tonight's wild late night involves 18 pints of corn relish (another basic recipe from the Ball Blue Canning Book) and Elysian Brewing Company's newest addition to the 12 Beers ...