I woke up at 3 in the morning, just to peek out the window. Sure enough, the ground was white! Try as I might, I just could not go back to sleep. Finally, I got up at 5 when the kids went running downstairs whooping and hollering to put on their snow gear. They went straight out to play in the snow in the dark. Can you tell we don't get snow around here much? In all the years I've lived around ...
A Full Farm Pantry
Winter is here, my farm pantry is full, and I am appreciating all the hard work of the growing season and harvest. I spend a lot of time popping in and out of my pantry for this and that throughout the day, and I always take a minute to stand there and revel in the baskets of onions, the braids of garlic, the rows of canning jars holding bright treasures of fruit and vegetables....It's really my ...
A Homestead Dream
Some dear friends of mine just had a beautiful baby boy, and asked if I would make a wall hanging as a gift for their midwife. She had told them about her dreams to one day have a little homestead with a garden, fruit trees, chickens and a cow. Being a homestead dreamer myself, I was happy to work on this project and had a lot of fun doing it. When I was finished, I thought, "I wouldn't mind ...
November Yurt Camping
Could I ever say enough about winter camping in yurts? We are so fortunate to have these simple, economical camping shelters at our Oregon coast state parks. They are warm and snug, they are round, they are fun, and they really get us out there in the winter time. It's quite the experience to lie in bed and look up through the skylight in a rainstorm or on a clear night at the stars. If you have ...
That’s Some Gall!
Have you ever noticed these strange round balls while your feet crunch along through the oak leaves in the fall? When I first moved here I had no idea what they were. Perhaps some strange fruit produced by oak trees? My kids thought they were fascinating. Maybe they were some sort of little fairy balls? I soon learned that these were oak galls. What, you might wonder, is an oak gall? Well, dear ...
Campfire at Sunset
Nothing is more peaceful than an evening campfire as the sun sets over the mountains. The cheery, crackling glow casts little dancing shadows all about, and the smell of woodsmoke puts a mind at ease. It would be wonderful to end every day with just such a campfire. I made this needlefelted wool wall hanging of a sunset in the mountains a while ago, but lately I felt like ...
Mujeres De Maiz Raffle
After hearing a lot of interest from readers in the benefit raffle for Mujeres de Maiz Opportunity Foundation for which I created this wall hanging, "The Women of the Corn", I looked into it and folks are indeed able to enter the raffle who live out of the Olympic Peninsula area. Tickets are 2$ each or 3 for 5$ and all proceeds benefit the work of Mujeres de Maiz ...
Lantern Walk
We arrived at our children's Waldorf school in the evening and walked down the dark hallway to their classroom where a soft glow was spilling out of the door. Inside sat their teacher playing softly on a small harp and singing a lantern walk song. All of the candle lanterns they had made from jars covered in tissue paper and dried leaves were sitting on their desks with cheerful little flames ...
She’s Gone Nuts!
When I moved to Oregon, one of the first things I noticed were all the nuts...hazelnuts that is. They're everywhere! While I had never really paid them any mind before, I soon realized what a tasty local food resource was available here. After all those hazelnuts fall to the ground in the hazelnut orchards, the farmers come through with their tractors and scoop up as much as they can for ...
The Mushroom Kingdom of King and Queen Bolete
Deep in the misty forest, King Bolete and Queen Bolete stand tall and regal in purple cloaks on their stump throne. All the other Chanterelles, Amanitas and little mushroom subjects are gathered around to listen to their royal decree. With this warm, wet fall in Oregon, it's a good year to be a mushroom! ...