Roots and Branches

scenes from around

I've needed a good long break from blogging.  The goats, chickens, ducks and all the other critters around here have demanded a lot of energy from me.  I love, love it - but it is a lot of work especially for someone just learning about everything.

So here are a few shots I snuck in between chores, housework, and being Mama.  Lots of nature's sweetness abounds around our place.  It's heaven.

 

I know, I know.  More chicks.  I swear I'm done now.  These are Black Australorps.  They are a heritage breed, which is something I am trying to focus on with my animals.  Okay, and they were especially cute... 

 

 

Ready to go in the garden - if it will quit being so cold around here I can get them planted!  Hopefully in the next couple of weeks they will be in and happily growing bigger. 

 

I have so totally fallen in love with these little fluff balls.  They are the sweetest things ever.  Oh, and they have names now - the little girl is Hazel and the little boy is Snowy.  They are so snuggley and I (and the kids) just adore them.

 

These ladies are so big now!  They are still pretty friendly  and really fun to watch.

 

I'm really enjoying the goats.  They are a much steeper learning curve than any other animal I have or have ever had in the past, but they are worth it.  Very cool animals and what an education!

I'll pop in soon with some photos of a sweater I've been working on for my girl.  Excited to share!

emerging

 

I'm back!!  We just spent 4 wonderful weeks staying in a little cabin-like, one room place.  Two of those weeks the Papa had off work.  It was relaxing and so lovely.  We are now moved into a fabulous house that we are falling in love with more every day.  It has been a wonderful place for me in the past, since it was my friend's house before we moved in.  I witnessed and photograhed her gorgeous baby's journey Earthside here in this home, and have spent a lot of fun hours chatting and enjoying her company here (and lots of kissing of chubby baby cheeks!!).  Now it is our home, and we're getting settled in and enjoying a new space.  We have one more bedroom here than our last home, and this is proving to be very, very nice. 

We are 25 miles (or so) from our town, which is a bit of a drive everyday for Papa, but it is so worth it.  We're in a little country, dirt road community of log cabins, off the grid homes, and people who just like wide open spaces.  There is a small lake that has just melted, and yesterday the little ones and I wandered over there and found that the ducks have returned!  Which means Spring has sprung.  We are right up against the mountains with acres of land (and plenty of national forest) to wander and enjoy.  It's not my coveted New England, but it's as close as it gets in the desert.  And it is so, so pretty out here!

 

Moving out here has been a journey of wondering where we would live (and not wanting to swallow our values and live somewhere where we would not be happy as a family).  But the house-hunting journey has ended so, so sweetly.  I have never felt terribly domestic in my career as Mama, but this house and country inspires such magic in me that I've found myself dreaming up all sorts of domestic projects with a whole lot of excitement.  I knew we weren't finding The House (for such a long while) for a reason, and I was more than pleasantly surprised.

Since we are now country folk, and we finally get to live out our dream of having free-range kids (human ones), huge gardens, and animals - we just had to get started.  So we went out and got 12 baby chicks (Buff Orpingtons, for you chicken saavy folks)!  They are so, so sweet.  Stinky, but sweet.

 

So, for now, we are dreaming of knitting, rug-making, thrifting, garden-planting, chicken coop-building, and wandering this beautiful paradise in the desert.

 

We are very, very happy. 

rearranging

The kids' room was looking a bit unorganized (all that cleaning up themselves, which I do not complain about!), so I decided to spend a couple hours tidying up.  I just love a room when it looks so perfect like this.  I have to stand in the door and stare for a little while.  Of course the room looks lived in again (which is the way it should be), but I've got pictures to remember that blissful mama moment (wink).

 

 

:: I finally finished her! She is now an offical member of the dolly family and played with often. ::

 

 

 

 

 

moments from the last few days

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season!

our days

Lately, our days have been consumed with making, creating traditions, being extra tired (that would be me), and trying to enjoy and slow down (while getting key things made!).  I'm so happy that this year we succeeded at either making most everything or buying it from someone else who made it.  I can hardly wait to see the little people faces when they see the love that has been created for them.  I am definitely sold on simple, handmade holidays.  I've been reading a lot on simple family holidays, and I'm really convinced that it is the right thing for our family. 

Here's a few glimpses at the fun we've been having.  Tonight, it's gnome gingerbread cookie making time and then more crafting for me after the littles are sleeping.  I hope everyone else is having a wonderful season.  This one has been really fulfilling for me, and I think for the small people as well. 

 

 

::  A little friend I made one night.  I'm excited to see what my boy thinks... ::

::  A little snow...  wish it would dump on us!  I'm so ready to be snowed in for a few days.  ::

:: candlelight dinner to help everyone settle down and get ready for the quiet of evening ::

:: beeswax ornament idea from gardenmama ::

 

Snow, Sinterklaas, and a hat

 

Here is the hat, all finished.  I love this yarn so much, but I lost the tag soon after purchasing it, so have no idea who it is made by.  It's 100% soft wool and handpainted, but other than that I'm not really sure.  It's so beautiful, though.  I will definitely be hunting for more.  And the verdict?  She loves the hat.

We went to our local Christmas tree festival this weekend, and my boy made a beeline for the super hero trees.  Plopped himself down with this superman guy and said, "Mom!  Picture!"  Yeah, okay cute boy.  Cheesey smile and all. 

Also, this weekend was St. Nicholas day.  We called it Sinterklaas day, because of my love for all things Dutch, but it's essentially the same thing.  My girl was super excited about it and got shoes out for everyone. 

She chopped the pears, poured the glass of milk, and loaded up the shoes with apples (for Sinterklaas's horses).  I failed to grab photos of them the next morning (something to do with me staying up really late and them waking up at some ungodly early hour), but St. Nick brought them some new seasonal story books that I'll be sure and include here soon.  It was really fun and we'll definitely repeat this festival again next year!

And.... it snowed!  A whole lot.  It is so beautiful and I'm anticipating the moment when boatloads of snow will start dumping down again.  The more snow, the merrier in my winter book. 

 

I've been knitting like crazy the last few days.  I'll share a bit of what I've been making really soon.

Keep warm!!

 

Halloween 2009

I hope everyone had a lovely holiday!  We were so busy, yet had so much fun!  The kids were so cute together.

Halloween morning was so beautiful for me.  I decided to make Sourdough French Toast (which was unbelievably delicious, if I say so myself!), and happened to look over into the dining room.  Pouring into the room was the most beautiful morning light.  It was shining right into the rainbow silk draped over the playstands.  After 3 days of gray and cold snow (which I love, mind you), it was so different that it struck me as profoundly beautiful!  That, together with a delicious breakfast, happy adorably dressed children, and a wonderful new CD (You Are My Little Bird), made for one of the most wonderful mornings ever.  I wish they could all be that beautiful!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Autumn!

It has arrived, in all it's beautiful glory!  Today, I turned on the heater in our home.  It was brrr!  To celebrate the change, I finally created our fall nature table.  It was fun and I'm quite pleased with it.

30 days of happiness: around the house

I've been enjoying my new, clean, organized home so much I thought I'd take some pictures.  I've made amends with housekeeping and we're getting along nicely again...

*  Waiting...  for me to have the itch to make something.

*  The very sweet Waldorf dolls were made by the talented Little Seedlings and the beautiful bunnies were made by my lovely Dutch friend Meike.  I love all of these so, so much.

* This little guy was given to me by a man at an arts and crafts fair.  I had found something that he had dropped, which was of great importance to him.  He spent the next few hours whittling this for me as a thank you gift.  It was my first direct contact with a crafter of all things beautiful, loved and handmade and something presented with so much love and appreciation.  It really touched me and this sweet little deer will always be special to me.  It was a nod toward a passion I would soon after find, for all things handmade with care for materials, thought, and love put into them.

* teacups and sunshine make me smile.  really big.