these overalls

By on January 11, 2014 in Home

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We finally have a few days where we have nothing else to do but what I have been waiting to do since we got here, paint.  The paint was purchased back in early November and has been waiting in a closet until there was time.  This house was recently painted and with good paint too but the colors are warm, very warm and I am feeling the need for light.

So yesterday, after we finished our school lessons, I called a painting weekend.  I told the kids to put on their work clothes and then I realized, I don’t really know where mine are.  A quick search produced my work clothing, these overalls.  These overalls which are now about the age of Erica, 14.  They are soft and comfortable with room enough to be worn during those last weeks of pregnancy when I develop the urge to paint and make things anew.  They have seen me through all of our garden seasons, construction projects and paint, oh yes they have done alot of painting.  Looking at them yesterday while painting, I saw the paint from our last three houses.  Oh, I realized that I really am a one trick pony who always picks very much the same colors for home.  Yes, these overalls are an old friend.  they would not be worth a thing to anyone else but I love them so.

We painted until dinner time when Poppa brought home a pizza party, at which point no one wanted to paint anymore.  The kids went off to have a movie night and I melted into a rocking chair to finally catch up on Downton Abbey, I am a whole season behind and enjoyed it so much though I will say, Lady Sybil dying was not a great twist to the plot.  I needed a project to work on while watching a few hours or TV last night so I cast on another longie for Mateo using my handpainted yarn, do you remember that project?   Some popcorn made with browned butter and I was a happy momma.

Today, it’s back to painting.  I hope to share a few before and afters with you soon.

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the coldest epiphany

By on January 7, 2014 in Handmade Holidays and Celebrations

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Baby, it’s cold outside.  Our high yesterday was a negative -2 with a low of minus 13.  In order to get through the winter with our dwindling supply of chopped wood, we are having to turn on the furnace more than I had hoped but warmth is a good thing.  Sweaters and blankets are good friends and I am so glad that I stocked up on lots of warm woolens for my babes back in the fall, so very glad.

This was the first time I was able to proclaim that there is one good thing about leaving our farm animals behind in Florida.  I could not think of how cold my farmer friends were in this storm, out there taking care of their animals.  For sure, I would have found a way to get out there and do the animal chores had I needed to but I will enjoy this unwanted break all the more.  We hope, in the spring, to add chickens and perhaps a piggie or two to our new homestead but for now it’s only the Angoras who have been living in the girl’s bathroom during this very frigid cold.

This morning the kids woke up very excited to see what they got for Epiphany.  We are all a bit under the weather with me also sick so this years festivities where kept very simple.  Presents and a reading of “The other Wise Man”, our favorite story about the last of the kings who visited the infant Jesus and why he never made it on that fateful night.  It is actually free right now for Kindle.

For me it seems the only place I could get warm enough was the kitchen.  The tea kettle was kept going all day and warm soups filled bellies.  In keeping with my intentions this year of saving money, I pulled out the frozen salmon leftovers from Christmas Eve dinner and fashioned some salmon pot pies which were quite the hit for dinner.

As I popped out of the kitchen to call helpers for serving, I walked into the family room to find a grand rabbit race going on.  Enticed by the promise of celery, a favorite of the bunnies and my children,  each bunny was lead towards the finish line.  There was celery for everyone afterwards which I thought might ruin their appetites but not to worry, every scrap of pot pie was consumed.

Once all tucked away into their warm beds, I tucked myself into a warm blanket on the couch with Poppa for the rest of that very cold day and got to do some crochet work I am working on for Matthew.

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