*Image courtesy of rerevealed.com.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Sweet Jumps Ahead
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Hear It And Weep
I'm really loving this right now. Listen on a cold winter's night with something warm to sip and something soft to cuddle.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Yes We Can!
*Sorry about the hideous quality of the photo. I took it in my quite dark pantry. After, oh, about 18 attempts, this was the best I could capture. You get the gist of what I'm suggesting, though.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Sunday Splendor
Saturday, December 27, 2008
The Best of Everything
Christmas Day didn't go quite as well. I came down with some kind of nasty 24-hour flu. I stayed on my mom's couch while Glenn and Mom slaved away in the kitchen, wondering if the end was near for me. The few bites I was able to enjoy were sublime.
Thanks to everyone for such abundance and love this week. Now that the feasting is over and the roof no longer quakes from above and all is at peace in my stomach, I'm ready to get back to working on the Canning & Preserving book.
Oh, I promised to mention some of the handmade items I gifted our families with this year. They included, but aren't limited to: salted caramels, herbed spiced pecans, salted chocolate chip cookies, pear apple ginger marmalade, apple butter and blackberry mint preserves.
Today my brother Walker and sister Devan share a birthday, turing 24 and 22 respectively. Happy happy to the both a ya's and here's to thoughts of brighter futures ahead for all of us!!
Monday, December 22, 2008
Raindrops Keep Falling On My Bed
We're getting a new roof today. There are 3 men presently ripping off old shingles with glee and abandon, like roofers do. We've needed a new roof for a long, long time, but kept putting it off. Two weeks ago, during a long, hard rain, when we had buckets and towels set out to collect drips that were occurring all over the house, it seemed that we couldn't wait any longer. You try sleeping through a constant drip 12 inches from your bed, when pillows over the head, ambient music, and even ear plugs all fail to quiet the incessant noise.
And so, here I sit, with 3 days until Christmas, trying to write a chapter for the next book, while the cats and dogs keep giving me looks of distress and bewilderment on account of the stomping and hammering and dump trucks delivering shingles and latino music blaring to give the roofers some solace on a morning with a wind chill of -8. There are cakes and cookies for the family to be baked, fudge-making to be attempted, fires to be stoked, and canning instructions to be written. Just another day in the life.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
When I Was Just A Little Girl
I've been busy lately, beginning the next book and brewing up homemade concoctions for holiday gift-giving. I can't reveal too much just yet, as the recipients haven't received their gifts and many of them are readers of this blog. All secrets will be revealed in due time, though, I promise.
*Yes, I know it looks like I have a lazy eye. No, I don't.
**Yes, I too see the weird fuzzy stuff around the photo. No, I don't have any idea what it is.
***Yes, she spelled it Chirstmax. It's an Adams Family holiday, sort of like Festivus is for the Kostanzas.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Hearts and Behinds Campaign

So, I suited up in the clothes I reserve expressly for dealing with messes and general unpleasantness and headed out to wash a chicken's butt. We made some headway , as I plopped her fanny into a large, warm bowl of water and then rubbed her bum with honey, which is supposed to heal the wound. She looked like a wet, sticky, frazzled chicken when we were all done. Fingers and toes crossed that things will begin to heal over. She's isolated in the chicken tractor right now until things are a little less red. Chickens can be cruel and are especially interested in pecking anything red-colored, be that an earthworm or a chicken's heiney. A chicken tractor, for those who don't spend all their time pouring over chicken books (although you'll LOVE mine, whether you have chickens or not!), is simply a mobile chicken housing structure. Glenn built the most incredible one for the book and I promise to post pictures soon. The photo above, by the way, is of Uno on the day of the big photo shoot, so a big thank you to Lark books for the image. If you believe in long-distance healing chicken love, I'm sure Uno would appreciate having some sent her way today.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Do They Know It's Christmastime At All?
I think this song speaks for itself. Cherish the simple things in your life, not just during the holidays, but always.
Love to you all.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Put A Little Tree In Your Yard
Since the little guys don't put off as much scent as their mature counterparts, each night I've been lighting a Aloha Bay natural essential oil candle called, appropriately, "Christmas Tree." It's scented with fir balsam, white cedar, and musk and makes me feel like I felt on Christmas Eve when I was 8 years old and my mom played Barbara Streisand albums REALLY LOUD all night long to mask the sound of our whining-puppy-Christmas-Day-jackpot-present that was alone and scared in the garage.
Monday, December 1, 2008
So, Tell Me What You Want
The intention of this post is to conduct an unofficial poll. I'm looking ahead to the next two books in the series, and it was suggested by my editor's boss that I poll my readership, as well as the readers of several other blogs, to determine what book topics people are most interested in reading about. So far, potential future topics include, but are in no way limited to:
-bread-making
-bee-keeping
-cheese-making
-organic gardening/edible landscaping
-cordials, elixirs, and bitters
-salting, smoking, drying, and cellaring
-herbal products for baby, bath, pets, and home
-growing your own flowers
So, what strikes you as most intriguing? What seems most timely? What is missing? Those of you who might read blog this regularly (or sporadically!) and have not yet commented (or "de-lurked" as it is known in blog-speak), please feel free to do so. In fact, feel free to poll your own readers, if you are yourself a blogger. Thanks in advance for your feedback!
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