Jerusalem Jackson Greer's Blog, page 34
June 3, 2013
backyard summer
I have so many things to tell you.
And questions I still must answer!But the days are just whipping by as we get ready for school to end, and I finish the book tour for the summer, and I am having trouble finding time (and energy) to share all the things I want to share.But our break is just a few days away..Then it is just one more promotion trip and then SUMMER is ON!Here is a little glimpse at what awaits me...
Enjoying my new laundry pole
Lovely summer blooms
Endless Hydrangeas
Time with my fellas
Pool lounging.
Even if it is just in a blow-up pool.
My raft fits and that is what counts!
Napping and reading on my swing.
Don't you love this set up? I used the left over tablecloth from the garden bunting to add this little faux awning look over the swing.
I really want to paint the swing itself a fun color eventually, but for now, this jazzes it up a bit.
And this quilt.It is my new old favorite.I found it on our trip to Mountain View during our Folkcation.I am thinking of turning it into pillows, or maybe just using it as a throw, since it is really not big enough for our beds.
Okay that is all for now.I promise to have more words soon.
xoxo
And questions I still must answer!But the days are just whipping by as we get ready for school to end, and I finish the book tour for the summer, and I am having trouble finding time (and energy) to share all the things I want to share.But our break is just a few days away..Then it is just one more promotion trip and then SUMMER is ON!Here is a little glimpse at what awaits me...
Enjoying my new laundry pole
Lovely summer blooms
Endless Hydrangeas
Time with my fellas
Pool lounging.
Even if it is just in a blow-up pool.
My raft fits and that is what counts!
Napping and reading on my swing.
Don't you love this set up? I used the left over tablecloth from the garden bunting to add this little faux awning look over the swing.
I really want to paint the swing itself a fun color eventually, but for now, this jazzes it up a bit.
And this quilt.It is my new old favorite.I found it on our trip to Mountain View during our Folkcation.I am thinking of turning it into pillows, or maybe just using it as a throw, since it is really not big enough for our beds.
Okay that is all for now.I promise to have more words soon.
xoxo
May 28, 2013
soylovely; down on the farm
Disclosure: The following post is all about the Bean2Blog event, during which P. Allen Smith and the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board fed me lunch, gave me a t-shirt and showed me a good time. All opinions are my own.
To say that the last few weeks have been a bit of an emotional roller coaster, would be an understatement.Changes at work, a mini-media blitz for the book, too many weekends in a row spent working on promotions, news of friends moving, news of family moving, a medicine refill snafu, plus a couple of other hiccups here and there, (exasperated by not enough rest to properly absorb it all,) had left me so drained and exhausted, that by last Monday night I was seriously considering calling in sick to one of my most favorite events ever: Bean 2 Blog.
In the end, I didn't call in sick.
Partly because Jeanetta told me to go anyway. That it would be restful. And that she wanted to live vicariously through my Instagram feed, so I should just buck up and go. Which is what I did.And of course it was soylovely.Yes, I said soylovely. Because the day was mostly all about soy. And it was lovely. And we had to each make up our own soy-inspired word, and that was what I came up with. I think I should trademark it, don't you?
Moss Mountain Farm is one of the most peaceful places I have ever been. When I am there I feel as if everything will always be okay, no matter what.
Because this was my second trip to the farm, I felt like I was able to go slower and breathe in tranquility a little bit deeper, and to notice things a little bit closer. I was tempted to slip away from the group, walk through this gate, and just sit on the hill the rest of the day mulling over the shapes of the clouds.
Recently Miles saw a hillside covered in tall grass, similar to this one, and he announced that if we ever get a farm, he wants to grow hay so that he can just watch it blow in the breeze.
Gotta love that kid. He has a poets heart underneath it all.
Also, he would flip out over Moss Mountain.
Even though the weather was a mixed bag- sun, rain, humidity, and a breeze all showed their faces- nothing could spoil our plans and we all had a blast tromping through Allen's gardens and fields.
This year we were able to visit with more of the livestock than before.A few of us even managed to call the sheep down from the hill.I have been around goats fairly often, but never sheep.They are too cute. Especially the babies.I wondered if Allen would notice if one or two of them went missing? Don't you think Maizy needs some sheep to herd?
I feel like this picture is a great example of what it is like to hang out with all the Arkansas Women Blogger gals. Or what it is like to go to an event with bloggers period.
Lots of cameras.
Lots of cute outfits.
Lots of smiles.
Lots of Instagraming.
Lots of boots.
And Paige seemed to always be in this pose, getting down and dirty to get the best shots of the day.
Love, love Alison's fishtail braid of her dreads.
Gonna miss this gal when she heads to Scotland for 3 YEARS (I can barely speak of it) so very much.
Can't quite get my mind- or heart- around it yet.
I think I need a sponsor to send A Homemade Year to Edinburgh.
Miss JoBeth here (aka Boots) is rocking the denim and the pearls. This lady has great style and a HUGE heart.So much fun to get to spend a day with her.
Love Lyndi's gingham and Stephanie's yellow skirt. Such sweet gals.
This is Mimi San Pedro, our fearless leader during Bean2Blog. She is P. Allen's Chief Marketing and Operating Officer and an absolute hoot. Mimi keeps us bloggers in line with her fierce mixture of humor and no-nonsense direction. There is never a dull moment when Mimi is in charge!
This was Sarabeth's first trip to Moss Mountain, and therefore we had to surgically remove her camera from her hands at the end of the day.Cannot wait to see what shots she got of the day.
I forgot my camera (that shows how tired was- a blogger forgetting her camera? Insane.) and my phone kept running out of battery (thank goodness for helpful folks that have chargers on hand) so I did not get any pictures inside Allen's Garden Home - but luckily I have ALL those pictures from last year. And really, not much has changed on that front. The entire house is as dreamy as I remembered it.
There are two buildings in the backyard garden area that are octagonal shaped. They often use these rooms when they host cocktail parties on the grounds. The wooden candelabras is on a pulley system so that they can raise and lower it to light the candles. And all the little ledges on the inside of the walls can also hold candles or flowers depending on the time of day the party takes place. I would love to see these rooms all lit up at night.
One of the new additions from last years visit are the new public bathrooms, which are located next to the gift shop. In typical Moss Mountain style, even the bathrooms are farm-chic!
This is the party barn, which is where we ate lunch, learned about soy farming in Arkansas, and saw a demo on making soy candles from LockStars Soy Candles.
One day I will have my own party barn. I just know it!
One day...
As many of you know, one of our families dreams is to someday, somehow, live on a small farm. And even though that day may be later rather than sooner, I am continually interested in Arkansas agriculture on both the large and small scale. Soy is second highest agriculture commodity in Arkansas and is called the "miracle bean" for it's wide range of uses. During our day on Moss Mountain, we were able to talk to West Higginbothom, who is a third generation Arkansas farmer. West was very easy to talk to, answered all our questions frankly and without hesitation (even the ones about GMO's, organic farming and so on,) and gave us insight into the daily challenges, duties and rewards of farming soybeans here in the Natural State.
Sitting at home on the kitchen table are several little packets of Edamame seeds and soil similar to these, just waiting for me to get them started for our garden. I would just love to be able to grow all of the vegetables needed to make Edamame Succotash,
In addition to getting to bring some Edamame seeds home to plant in our own gardens, we got to plant some soy in Allen's 1 acre garden. Here Sarabeth demonstrates how to kick dirt over the seed using her fab red boot.
We also got to try a variety of soy food-products, which were all yummy.
Including Soy blueberry muffins and Edamame hummus.
Allen also gave a cooking demo, teaching us that the best way to flavor tofu is to slice it, dry-fry it, and then place it in a zip lock bag to marinate, covered with the seasonings or sauce that you want it to taste like.
When the boys were babies we blended tofu with all sorts of veggies in the food processor, but since then we have not used it so much. I am eager to try this new technique, and also to make some of the soy spinach artichoke dip that we enjoyed before we headed home (once I track down the recipe I will pinnterest it for you.)
I have to give a huge thanks to Allen, Team Moss Mountain, the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board, West, LockStars, Mimi and everyone who made this day so wonderful. Their hospitality and attention to detail really makes an event like this a treat.
As usual, Jeanetta was right, I did have a blast, and it was so restful to get away for a day, to do something outside of myself and my agenda, to learn about part of the world that I admire but know a limited amount about, and to soak up the wide open spaces and friendly faces that greeted me at every turn.I guess you could say that it was soylovely. (I'm killing you aren't I?)But don't just take my word for it- visit all the other bloggers who have begun posting about their experiences as well- Click here to see the Link-Up Bean2Blog Party.
Also you can visit all the gals from the day over on their home turfs:Angie – A Growing SeasonDebbie – Dining with DebbieStephanie – The Park WifeAlison – Alison ChinoLyndi – NWA FoodieLauren – In ArkansasSarabeth – The DramaticGina – Desperately Seeking GinaJulie – Eggs and HerbsJoBeth – Boots McBlogBlair – In ArkansasPaige – Approaching JoyAnita – Aunt Nubby’s KitchenBeth – The Food AdventuressMelissa – A Familiar PathKaren – Ting’s Mom
To say that the last few weeks have been a bit of an emotional roller coaster, would be an understatement.Changes at work, a mini-media blitz for the book, too many weekends in a row spent working on promotions, news of friends moving, news of family moving, a medicine refill snafu, plus a couple of other hiccups here and there, (exasperated by not enough rest to properly absorb it all,) had left me so drained and exhausted, that by last Monday night I was seriously considering calling in sick to one of my most favorite events ever: Bean 2 Blog.
In the end, I didn't call in sick.
Partly because Jeanetta told me to go anyway. That it would be restful. And that she wanted to live vicariously through my Instagram feed, so I should just buck up and go. Which is what I did.And of course it was soylovely.Yes, I said soylovely. Because the day was mostly all about soy. And it was lovely. And we had to each make up our own soy-inspired word, and that was what I came up with. I think I should trademark it, don't you?
Moss Mountain Farm is one of the most peaceful places I have ever been. When I am there I feel as if everything will always be okay, no matter what.
Because this was my second trip to the farm, I felt like I was able to go slower and breathe in tranquility a little bit deeper, and to notice things a little bit closer. I was tempted to slip away from the group, walk through this gate, and just sit on the hill the rest of the day mulling over the shapes of the clouds.
Recently Miles saw a hillside covered in tall grass, similar to this one, and he announced that if we ever get a farm, he wants to grow hay so that he can just watch it blow in the breeze.
Gotta love that kid. He has a poets heart underneath it all.
Also, he would flip out over Moss Mountain.
Even though the weather was a mixed bag- sun, rain, humidity, and a breeze all showed their faces- nothing could spoil our plans and we all had a blast tromping through Allen's gardens and fields.
This year we were able to visit with more of the livestock than before.A few of us even managed to call the sheep down from the hill.I have been around goats fairly often, but never sheep.They are too cute. Especially the babies.I wondered if Allen would notice if one or two of them went missing? Don't you think Maizy needs some sheep to herd? 
I feel like this picture is a great example of what it is like to hang out with all the Arkansas Women Blogger gals. Or what it is like to go to an event with bloggers period.
Lots of cameras.
Lots of cute outfits.
Lots of smiles.
Lots of Instagraming.
Lots of boots.
And Paige seemed to always be in this pose, getting down and dirty to get the best shots of the day.
Love, love Alison's fishtail braid of her dreads.Gonna miss this gal when she heads to Scotland for 3 YEARS (I can barely speak of it) so very much.
Can't quite get my mind- or heart- around it yet.
I think I need a sponsor to send A Homemade Year to Edinburgh.
Miss JoBeth here (aka Boots) is rocking the denim and the pearls. This lady has great style and a HUGE heart.So much fun to get to spend a day with her.
Love Lyndi's gingham and Stephanie's yellow skirt. Such sweet gals.
This is Mimi San Pedro, our fearless leader during Bean2Blog. She is P. Allen's Chief Marketing and Operating Officer and an absolute hoot. Mimi keeps us bloggers in line with her fierce mixture of humor and no-nonsense direction. There is never a dull moment when Mimi is in charge!
This was Sarabeth's first trip to Moss Mountain, and therefore we had to surgically remove her camera from her hands at the end of the day.Cannot wait to see what shots she got of the day.
I forgot my camera (that shows how tired was- a blogger forgetting her camera? Insane.) and my phone kept running out of battery (thank goodness for helpful folks that have chargers on hand) so I did not get any pictures inside Allen's Garden Home - but luckily I have ALL those pictures from last year. And really, not much has changed on that front. The entire house is as dreamy as I remembered it.
There are two buildings in the backyard garden area that are octagonal shaped. They often use these rooms when they host cocktail parties on the grounds. The wooden candelabras is on a pulley system so that they can raise and lower it to light the candles. And all the little ledges on the inside of the walls can also hold candles or flowers depending on the time of day the party takes place. I would love to see these rooms all lit up at night.
One of the new additions from last years visit are the new public bathrooms, which are located next to the gift shop. In typical Moss Mountain style, even the bathrooms are farm-chic!
This is the party barn, which is where we ate lunch, learned about soy farming in Arkansas, and saw a demo on making soy candles from LockStars Soy Candles.
One day I will have my own party barn. I just know it!
One day...
As many of you know, one of our families dreams is to someday, somehow, live on a small farm. And even though that day may be later rather than sooner, I am continually interested in Arkansas agriculture on both the large and small scale. Soy is second highest agriculture commodity in Arkansas and is called the "miracle bean" for it's wide range of uses. During our day on Moss Mountain, we were able to talk to West Higginbothom, who is a third generation Arkansas farmer. West was very easy to talk to, answered all our questions frankly and without hesitation (even the ones about GMO's, organic farming and so on,) and gave us insight into the daily challenges, duties and rewards of farming soybeans here in the Natural State.
Sitting at home on the kitchen table are several little packets of Edamame seeds and soil similar to these, just waiting for me to get them started for our garden. I would just love to be able to grow all of the vegetables needed to make Edamame Succotash,
In addition to getting to bring some Edamame seeds home to plant in our own gardens, we got to plant some soy in Allen's 1 acre garden. Here Sarabeth demonstrates how to kick dirt over the seed using her fab red boot.
We also got to try a variety of soy food-products, which were all yummy.
Including Soy blueberry muffins and Edamame hummus.
Allen also gave a cooking demo, teaching us that the best way to flavor tofu is to slice it, dry-fry it, and then place it in a zip lock bag to marinate, covered with the seasonings or sauce that you want it to taste like.
When the boys were babies we blended tofu with all sorts of veggies in the food processor, but since then we have not used it so much. I am eager to try this new technique, and also to make some of the soy spinach artichoke dip that we enjoyed before we headed home (once I track down the recipe I will pinnterest it for you.)
I have to give a huge thanks to Allen, Team Moss Mountain, the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board, West, LockStars, Mimi and everyone who made this day so wonderful. Their hospitality and attention to detail really makes an event like this a treat.
As usual, Jeanetta was right, I did have a blast, and it was so restful to get away for a day, to do something outside of myself and my agenda, to learn about part of the world that I admire but know a limited amount about, and to soak up the wide open spaces and friendly faces that greeted me at every turn.I guess you could say that it was soylovely. (I'm killing you aren't I?)But don't just take my word for it- visit all the other bloggers who have begun posting about their experiences as well- Click here to see the Link-Up Bean2Blog Party.
Also you can visit all the gals from the day over on their home turfs:Angie – A Growing SeasonDebbie – Dining with DebbieStephanie – The Park WifeAlison – Alison ChinoLyndi – NWA FoodieLauren – In ArkansasSarabeth – The DramaticGina – Desperately Seeking GinaJulie – Eggs and HerbsJoBeth – Boots McBlogBlair – In ArkansasPaige – Approaching JoyAnita – Aunt Nubby’s KitchenBeth – The Food AdventuressMelissa – A Familiar PathKaren – Ting’s Mom
May 23, 2013
where i rested my weary bones
I am experiencing a bit of radio silence syndrome this week.Feeling the need to retreat inside myself a bit, to hold my words close, to carrying them with me a little longer. To take a little respite for my heart and mind.
But I did want to share with you pictures from the amazing little cottage retreat that we stayed in last weekend. I cannot truly convey how lovely the weekend was without including our stay at Elk Street Cottage.
Every now and then I stumble upon a physical space that seems to have been made just for me. A place that seems to provide a spiritual oasis for my fuzz-filled brain, and healing rest for my over-tired body. Elk St. Cottage was just that sort of place, and I am still carrying a bit of it's magic with me.
May 20, 2013
monday musings
Here are all the things I know for sure after this weekend:*I am way more introverted than I think- at least with strangers.*I really am blessed to have the sorts of friends that I have. The sort that will go along on your escapades, get sunburned and be sleep deprived just to help you out (more on this to come...) *I really did a good thing by marrying Nathaniel Wayne Greer almost 16 years ago. I think we will be good empty-nesters as my friend Alison says.*I will be yarn (or doily) bombing the trees in my front yard.*I am infinitely interested in the education of women over the course of history* I really miss researching. *Hats really do look best on curly headed gals.*Vacationing in an all-white house really is as dreamy as I always imagined (more on this to come...)* I am not an Energizer Bunny. And I no longer aspire to be one.* Prodigal Summer is a great book. It may be a favorite.*I can go three days without opening my laptop.
Here are somethings I am considering after this weekend:* I think I might be ready to downsize from a King bed to a Queen...* Hanging all white curtains in every room during the summer months* I think maybe the idea of how to make authentic friendships as adult women is something that needs to be explored further. Thoughts?*Is anyone an extrovert around strangers?
OK that is all for today.I am still in the re-entry phase from our lovely weekend away, but I did want to say hello.More in depth discussions of many of these topics, and more answers to your questions to come soon!
May 16, 2013
just a lovely time
Tuesday night my friend Christen Byrd (far right) threw me and A Homemade Yea r a Living Room Tour party in her backyard.The night was amazing. The weather was perfect, warmish, breezy, fluffy clouds overhead.The decor absolutely sumptuous.Christen is an amazing party thrower and no detail was spared for this little shin-dig. Seriously. This gal Party guest Amara (on the left) even made a recipe from the book- Summer Pineapple Pasta Salad (found in the Ordinary Time chapter) for us all to sample.Christen's kids played several games of Memory using the Old Joseph Cards (the printable can be found here) and other bits and pieces from the book made their way into the party scene-including lots of gingham and vintage sheets.
Learning to juggle family, work, book promotion and speaking engagements has been a bit of a challenge over the past two months, but nights like these makes it all worth it.The ladies who came were delightful, sweet and so welcoming. I loved getting to share part of my story and hear part of theirs. Every time I get to speak to a group I have to pinch myself a little bit. I am beyond blessed, and I am so grateful to be asked. Pouring out hope, tender truth, and light into the hearts of others is no small thing and I try my best to handle the responsibility gently, respectfully, and humbly. No one in this world has to listen to a word I say, or read a line I write, so each time someone chooses to do so is a huge honor. And each time one of my friends invites me to share my book and story and heart with their friends, I am doubly honored, because they know me and if what I was sharing was bs, they would be the first ones to say so. They would not hang handmade buntings and make lemon bars and invite their friends over to meet me. Which is why I have to pinch myself.
+++++++++++++++++++
Speaking of listening and reading.... I taped my very first ever radio interview last week and you can now listen to it here (of course it is so weird to hear my own voice. And I sort of sound like a grown-up. How did that happen??)
I am confessing a bit about motherhood over at the Little Rock Family blog with a small excerpt from A Homemade Year
And I am reinventing a garage sale find over on the At Home blog
PS- If you like the look of this party, and the idea of having a little get-together filled with crafts, yummy food and blessings, stay tuned... Something LOVELY is coming soon. ...
PPS- Have a good weekend! I am off to Eureka Springs, AR for most of mine. See you all here next week.
May 15, 2013
Going to Moss Mountain and such things
Hello friends.
How are you??
Me? I am good but a bit worn out, I cannot lie.
These are busy days for me.
But busy with good stuff.
Today I am particularly happy about the following:
Today someone is coming to clean my house.
Today I am hoping to set up our very fancy (ha!) blow-up pool.
Today I am listening to To Kill A Mockingbird on YouTube. Did you know that you can find audio books on YouTube? I didn't either until recently. So handy.
Today the sun is shining and I am embracing it.
I will be posting more answers to your questions soon, but not today. Instead I wanted to share a little bit about what the rest of my month looks like, as I am doing a lot of traveling, and I hope some of it leads me to you!
{A little fashion inspiration board for my Bean2Blog day}
Apron, Shirt, Similar Pants, Boot, Hat, Necklace
First of all, I am SO excited about going back to Moss Mountain Farm to see P. Allen Smith, his gardens, his AMAZING house and his sweet animals. Last year was so much fun, and I can't believe I get to go again. We will be learning all about Soybeans again, and how to grow, prepare, and get the most use from them. If you have any questions -of any kind - for Allen, please leave a comment on this post and I will be sure and ask him for you!
In addition to going to Moss Mountain, I have many other speaking engagements and events happening over the next few weeks. Here is a breakdown of when and where I will be from now till June 8-if you live in an area close to these events I hope you will come out and see me!
May 17 - Eureka Thyme, Eureka Springs, Arkansas 5-8 PM, book signing and readings http://www.eurekathyme.com/
May 19 - Books In Bloom Literary Festival, Eureka Springs Arkansas http://www.booksinbloom.org/May 21- Going to Bean2Blog at Moss Mountain Farm with P. Allen SmithMay 25 - The Culinary District, Hot Springs, AR 1-3PM, Book Signing and Demo EventJune 1 - Women's Institute, Arkansas Episcopal Church Women Retreat, Petite Jean, Arkansas Contact Wanda Dudley -wandadunwoody@yahoo.com
June 7, 8 - Hobnob Market, Danville, IL. Will be doing craft demo's, reading from book, and selling/signing books as wellat this pop-up style vintage & handmade market at The Barn at Bunker Hill - inside Kennekuk County Park near Danville, IL. Contact hobnobmarket@comcast.net
May 13, 2013
answering your questions- Raising Hennie Pennies
One of the questions I get a lot is about our chickens.
How do I like raising them? Is it easy? Do we name them?
I am by no means a chicken raising expert, but I will share with you what I do know.
What is the most important thing that you must know about raising chickens?
The number one thing about raising chickens that you must be comfortable with if you are going to take on this project is the shit.
And there is no other way to say it.
Chicken shit is chicken shit. No point in trying to say it in a nicer way.
So, if you are particularly adverse to poopy things- especially animal poop- then chicken raising will not be for you.
Secondly, caring for chickens is a daily chore. And I mean daily.
No matter what the weather or your other plans.
Chickens need to be put up in their coop with their door firmly locked each night to be safe from predators and then they need to be let out every morning to scratch and stretch their legs.
They need feed, scratch, scraps and fresh water daily.
These needs make going away for the weekend interesting, as you have to find people in your life -who also do not mind chicken shit - to come twice a day to care for your chickens.
Luckily, we live in a chicken friendly neighborhood and have neighbors who don't mind helping out from time to time.
But this may not be the case for you.
What is your set up like? Your coop and such? This is a view of our coop and our feeding station. We have six hens and we have two feeders.Over to the side is a medium size galvanized bucket that we keep filled with water.We used to keep the feed in the coop, but with six gals there was just no room. We would find a hen sleeping on the top of one of the feeders, or all the grain would be knocked out onto the floor of the coop-attracting varmints or other critters.
Both the feeder and the coop are made from a mixture of reclaimed and new parts.Sweet man designed and built both, with some input here and there from me on how to cute-en them up.I mean if you are going to have a coop and a feeding station, shouldn't they be cute? That's what I thought.Because our dog Maizy likes to chase the gals we built them a run that is about 45ft long x 15ft deep.Our run does not have a top covering. The coop is high enough off the ground that if the chickens want shelter, but do not want to get in the coop they can go underneath instead.
In addition to the feed and scraps, we also throw kitchen scraps, oak tree leaves, grass clippings, weeds, poke salad and all the earth worms we find in there for them to eat.When the weather is warm the gals produce 4-5 eggs a day. In the winter it goes down to 2-3.You can see a full tour of our coop here.
Do you have to name your chickens? Well no, I guess not. But we do name our girls in general. The first hens we ever had we raised from baby chicks and we were very attached to them- especially Wylie who is the main chicken-care-giver. They all had names and personalities and we each claimed certain ones as our favorites. But after losing that flock in such a shocking way, we have gone a little slower with this crew. Two of our current gals came to us already named, and then there are " The Reds" that P. Allen Smith gave us. I think the boys have named a couple of The Reds, but I am not sure what their names are. The other two are Rosie and Henny Penny (aka Long Neck.)Over time all of our current hennies have grown accustomed to us even though we did not raise them from birth (from hatch?) and they will all let us pick them up and hold them now. A few have even become snugly.
Do you give them antibiotics etc as some books suggest? Currently, no. So far {knock on wood} our gals have been healthy and hearty and we have not seen the need.
Do they ever make it to your table? (thanks to my dad for asking this blunt question!)Once. Where we live we are not allowed to raise roosters, and unfortunately one of our baby chicks, Stuckup, turned out to be a rooster. Once he begin crowing we knew it was his time to go. Wylie was very brave and offered to take care of this chore since they were "his chickens." After a good cry of course. I have to say, as sad as it was, Stuckup made a very yummy pot of broth for chicken and dumplings.
Do you have to do anything different when it is really cold or snows? Yes. When temperatures get really low we rig up a heat lamp in safe spot inside their coop and cover half the window screens with plastic sheets. We don't seal up the coop entirely because the chickens would asphyxiate, but we try to protect them as best we can. They are also covered in down feathers and like to huddle together, so that helps keep them warm. They other thing we do is keep their water broken up, as it tends to turn to ice overnight. And we still open their door, and close it up each day and night, because even with snow on the ground, they still like getting some fresh air and digging for worms.
So that is a bit about hen raising from our little urban cottage farm. Want to see more about what is inspiring our Urban Cottage Farm and what changes we are making? Follow my Pinterest board on the topic.
Do you have any questions about raising chickens that I didn't answer? Leave me a comment below and I will do my best to reply soon~
May 12, 2013
babies don't keep
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The last stanza of this poem, written by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton, hung on the wall of my home growing up, and therefore has also hung on the fringes of my heart forever.
My mother could have written this poem.It was a sort of mantra of our home..Not that the laundry and the dishes and the dust never got taken care of. They did, often with the help of me and my siblings. But the laundry and the dishes and the dust were not the products my mother was creating. They were not the point or the goal or the standard.Instead they were the byproducts of what was the point-our family life, our childhoods. And knowing that as a child was huge.
Happy Mother's Day to all you mommas of all kinds today.And Happy Mother's Day most of all to my momma, Tanya Beverly Jackson.I couldn't ask or dream up a better momma for me if I tried.
The last stanza of this poem, written by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton, hung on the wall of my home growing up, and therefore has also hung on the fringes of my heart forever.
My mother could have written this poem.It was a sort of mantra of our home..Not that the laundry and the dishes and the dust never got taken care of. They did, often with the help of me and my siblings. But the laundry and the dishes and the dust were not the products my mother was creating. They were not the point or the goal or the standard.Instead they were the byproducts of what was the point-our family life, our childhoods. And knowing that as a child was huge.
Happy Mother's Day to all you mommas of all kinds today.And Happy Mother's Day most of all to my momma, Tanya Beverly Jackson.I couldn't ask or dream up a better momma for me if I tried.
May 10, 2013
St. Maria goes moooo
There is a new girl in the house and her name is Maria, or St. Maria, depending on how the wind blows my mmod.Jeanetta painted her for me, and I am head-over-heels in-love.I guess if I can't have an actual farm yet, I will just keep finding ways to bring the farm to the city. Not too shabby a solution.
Jeanetta recently moved her father's drafting table into her bedroom and all I can say is, this girl is on fire! So proud to see her doing her art thing again. And more than happy to benefit from this bout of inspiration :)
Speaking of being proud of my IRLF friends...
My friend Alison won Yarnells for a YEAR! See how HERE and check out all the other fun she and her family are having of late. Things are never boring at Chino House and
My friend Sarabeth recently wrote a sweet and funny post for the Little Rock Family Blog and will be reading a piece she wrote at the Northwest Arkansas Performance of Listen to Your Mother. I am truly sad that I will not be able to make that road trip with the gals, but luckily I get to know SB in real life, so I get to experience her fabness regularly.
My friend Liz has been writing up a storm lately about all sorts of topics; from boobs to voldermort noses. I love watching her blog -and her - grow and change.
and lastly I have to ask if you are planning on coming to the Arkansas Women Bloggers Conference? I hope so, because a) I will be there and I would love to see you, and 2) It is at one of my most favorite Camp and Retreat Centers - Ferncliff {which is where my parents were married of few dozen years ago...} and c) I made quite a few friends there last year.I learned so much at the 2012 gathering and met so many great women. I found the entire experience to be encouraging, low-stress and helpful. If you are a blogger or thinking of becoming a blogger then I think you might just enjoy this gathering. I will probably talk about this again from time to time, but I wanted to give you a heads up so you could start saving your pennies!
OK, I have been reading your questions and hope to start on them first thing Monday!This week has been a dozy and the blogging break was helpful, thanks for sticking around!
May 6, 2013
bokeh and some questions
Want to know how much I love bokeh filters? So much that I would put bokeh circles (like the ones all over my face in this picture) over my entire world if I could. If I was going back in time I would name this blog House of Bokeh or some such silly thing.Seriously.Want to know why the Kardashian's always look amazing during there confessional interviews on their show? Bokeh. Well, bokeh in their eyes anyway. Those big, beautiful brown eyes of theirs are reflecting HUGE MEGA WATT lights that are pointing straight at them. And it creates a bokeh like effect in that area. Which is hypnotizing. And why we cannot look away despite the obvious cray-cray happening there.Bokeh is like a bottle of fairy dust being magically poured out over everything.It makes me beyond happy and I have to resist processing ever single picture I have through this filter.You can keep your rose-tinted glasses, give me bokeh for life. Bokeh looks to me how grace feels. How joy feels. How carefreeness feels.
But enough about bokeh...
Over the next 6 weeks I have 8 speaking engagements of some sort, work is at it's peak busy season, and I may or may not be tossing around another book idea.Needless to say my brain is already feeling a little fuzzy.
So I need your help. If you want to help. Which I wouldn't blame you if you didn't, you are probably busy too!
But if you do want to help here is what I could use: Ideas and questions. I am afraid that this blog is in jeopardy of just lying around like a wet noodle for a few weeks unless I get some content help... SO, here it goes:
What would you like me to write more about on the blog? Decorating? Faith? Friendship? Family raising? Crafting? Gardening? Chickens? Something else all together?
Are there any questions you would like me to answer here on the blog? About anything? My family? About our life? About myself? About writing? About??? You tell me! What is something you have always wanted to ask me? I will do my best to answer everything honestly and be as forthright as possible.
(of course I have to confess that I am super nervous that no one will ask questions or give suggestions. Throwing this out into Blogland is a little bit like throwing a party - what if no one shows up???)
Ready?Set!Ask away!
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