Dairy Rappers Delight

Absolutely adoring this video. Dairy farmers promoting sustainable farming practices while making farming chic, modern, and especially gorgeous (because, hey, that's how it is in real life, right?????).

I'm especially fond of Ms. Exceptionally Lovely Farmer when she raps "In my wax coat and boots, I'm proper Farmer Giles; Now look, you urban folks have stole our style." So true. I love how farm clothing and gear have become fashionable in city settings. In so doing, it seems to validate the entire renewed interest in agriculture and nature and food cycles and systems and hand-crafted, handmade, home-spun modes of living so prevalent today.

For those of you curious about the lyrics (which are both hilarious and yet simultaneously quite inspiring, as Yeo Valley is clearly making serious strides in their attempt to tread lightly on the soil they toil), check out this link.

Big up your chest!

My True Love Gave To Me

This week I've dealt with the emotional and physical challenges that come from sleep deprivation, caring for a tiny newborn, pain while nursing, the physiological pendulum swing of hormones that accompanies the shift from pregnancy to nursing, and the continued challenges of anemia and wound healing following our wild birth.

I've been weepy and then euphoric, irritated and then blissed-out. I'm fairly certain it's just the baby blues, but we're taking note of everything and discussing it with my midwives (btw, on a health update, we did learn yesterday that, in addition to Huxley's awesome weight gain, my blood pressure has gone way down-yeah! on the path towards being preeclampsia-free!!!-and my liver count is climbing steadily upwards!).

Hubs, in his eternal patience, wisdom, and love, gifted me with the above card/art piece yesterday. It couldn't have come at a better time. He is, at this very moment, mounting it onto a piece of weathered metal so that I can gaze contemplatively at it whenever I find myself needing a boost.

Spouses like mine are more than just life partners, they're true friends. Thanks, sweets.

Wabi Sabi

Hi everyone! My "Small Measures with Ashley" post is up over at Design Sponge. Today I'm examining the Japanese aesthetic philosophy of Wabi Sabi. I've long found its values to align with my own, its worldview to be one which embraces the sort of comfort and acceptance that I espouse, and it's recognition of the inextricable link between humans and the rest of the natural world to be truly inspirational. Plus, I think it's cool. There, I said it.

Have a fabulous weekend. We've got a whole bunch of nothing planned. Well, not exactly nothing, but no plans to go anywhere. Tomorrow a wonderful woman from the Asheville La Leche League is coming over to help me work on latch issues with Huxley. He latches (boy, does he ever latch!), only it kills every time he does. I know that this will all get easier in the coming weeks and months, but in the meantime, his tiny mouth feels like a vice grip each time we nurse (which, at his age, is a lot; a whole lot). Still, I'm committed to it, especially after learning yesterday at our 3-week postpartum visit that he's now 6 lbs., 7 ounces, so he's clearly getting enough nourishment! Plus, his, ahem "output" is vast. Hubs refers to him as "Sir Poops A-Lot." 'Tis true. He'll be Hercules before we know it!

Sunday my mom is coming over again to spend some q.t. with her grandson while I (hopefully) luxuriate in a hot bath and sip calming tea. Of course, as with all things lately, I'm not letting myself get too attached to that idea...you know, "best laid plans" and all...

Wherever your weekend takes you, here's hoping the destination is a bliss-filled one!

*Image from here.

Eyes Wide Open

Huxley is finally ready for his close up.

That last one has "please don't eat me" written all over it, no?

Top Ten

I've never been much of one to toot my own horn. In fact, I somewhat abhor it, to use the most extreme superlative I can think of. I'm much more a fan of humility, and always admire and gravitate towards that quality in others. Hubs is the Jedi Knight of humility, as are many of my closest friends and family members.

That said, I was pleased as punch when I came across the above "Top Ten" recognition yesterday. Whilst finally going through a backlog of mail during one of my and Huxley's 12 daily nursing/pumping sessions (dudeman can DRINK!), I opened the packet to Homestyle Books, one of two books-buying clubs to which I belong (the other, based around cookbooks, is The Good Cook-deep, steep discounts abound here, folks). Lo and behold, within the pages of their catalogue, I recognized a familiar cover.

Thank you, Homestyle Books, for giving a shout out to "Keeping Chickens." I adore the book, the whole series in fact (and not just because I wrote it-remember, humility runs in my veins-but because of the exemplary work of the entire creative team I was blessed to work with). Now that we're in between books ("Home Dairy" and "Keeping Bees" debut March 2011), I have to admit to missing working with the team, as well as writing and researching some "Homemade Living" topic on a daily basis.

Hopefully there will be more topics in the series and I'll be back to work, and elbow-rubbing with my Lark buddies, before too long. On that note, what "Homemade Living" topics would you like to see in future books? We're toying with "Beverages" and "Kitchen Gardens" right now. I've got loads of other ideas in store, but I'd love to hear your suggestions, so, bring 'em!

Community Supported Fiber (CSF) Farms

Hi Friends, and happy Sunday! I'm back in the saddle over at Design Sponge, returning after a two-week hiatus with my "Small Measures with Ashley" column. This week's topic focuses on "Community Supported Fiber" farms, more commonly referred to as C.S.F.'s. I find the topic immensely intriguing, and hope you will too, especially with the chilly months staring us in the face (my mom and grandmother, who live an hour north of here, were slated to get snow last night; I haven't yet chatted with them this morning, so I'm not sure what has transpired yet...).

We're all getting our groove back, Chez English (well, Huxley is establishing his groove...). For the most part, things are grand. I'm slowly healing, learning (not without a fight!) to take it waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay easy. I get winded pretty easily, so I take my time walking around the house, and let things slide a bit more than I usually would, house cleaning-wise. Hubs has been an absolute saint, cooking up delicious meals, taking care of our menagerie of animals (I haven't even made it out to the chicken coop in two weeks, but Glenn assures me that all is well and keeps me, ahem, abreast, of all the social goings-on out there), going to the fire department to ensure that the car seats are installed properly (would you believe we've had to purchase three-!!!-different models in search of one that fits our wee one???), and being generally awesome, per usual.

My mother-in-law stayed with us for 9 days and was an indispensable fount of assistance and advice. Huxley met his great-grandmother (my maternal grandmother), Ruby, this past Thursday. He also spent some quality time with his grandmother, Gigi (my mom), then and did so again yesterday while Hubs was at the Asheville Scrabble Club's annual tournament (I insisted that he go, which he somewhat reluctantly relented to, in an attempt at re-establishing normalcy around here, per the suggestion of our pediatricain).

Our tiny "pea pod" might not be so for too terribly much longer if he keeps up with the weight gain he managed this past week-at his weigh-in at the pediatrician's office on Tuesday, it was revealed that he'd gained 8 ounces in one week! Way to pack it up, pack it in, little Hux!

I'm learning the art and craft of breast-feeding every day. I have to admit, it's not as intuitive as I think most women are led to believe. Fortunately, the suggestions of my mother-in-law, coupled with the fantastic advice offered by the lactation consultants at the Western N.C. Breast-feeding Center found in Mission Hospital and the sage, seasoned words of Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Breastfeeding (big thanks to my sweet friend Jen for insightfully gifting us with this book at the Nugget Warming) are all aligning to get "peanut sauce" and myself on the right track.

Once I get a bit more sleep (one night this week, Huxley was up from 1:30 a.m.-4:15 a.m and then yesterday I mistakenly drank a full-strength latte-and enjoyed every drop of it, mind you-which kept him awake all day long; he's going through a growth spurt and is feeding like a tiny vampire!), a bit more recovery rest (I have to keep reminding myself that, a mere two weeks ago, the following happened: preeclampsia, induced labor, hemorrhage, and removal of a reproductive organ-sheesh!!!), and a bit more of an established sleep pattern down, I'll get busy with picture-taking and post some images here. I'm typically the sort of person who forgets to take photos anyways (at parties, on my honeymoon, almost all the time...), but I really do want to capture some images of him while he's still wee. That said, I'm cutting myself a HUGE wedge of slack, given all that's gone down recently.

Have a lovely week ahead, everyone!

* Image from here.

Chicken-tendering, Zenchilada-style

I invite you all to take a minute and check out the most recent edition of online food magazine "Zenchilada." I was approached by editor Ronni Lundy several months ago about contributing to both their Fall 2010 and Winter '10-11 issues. You can find the fall edition, entirely devoted to all things chicken, here. My article begins on page 32, with a bio listed on page 161.

The magazine (for which I've posted the July 2010 cover above; couldn't find the most recent cover available in jpg form to save my life) is gorgeously and thoughtfully curated. Those new to keeping chickens will find just as much valuable information here as those who've been dyed-in-the-feathers for some time. There are also recipes and anecdotes aplenty. Enjoy!

*Image from here.