Gift from the Sea

January 21, 2016 Sherrie Graham

“We are asked today to feel compassionately for everyone in the world; to digest intellectually all the information spread out in public print; and to implement in action every ethical impulse aroused by our hearts and minds. The inter-relatedness of the world links us constantly with more people than our hearts can hold. Or rather - for I believe the heart is infinite - modern communication loads us with more problems than the human frame can carry... my life cannot implement in action the demands of all the people to whom my heart responds.”

— Gift from the Sea, Anne Morrow Lindbergh

I love this book so much that I was hesitant to write a word about it. I drafted this post more than a month ago and have been mulling it over ever since - you know those things that you feel as though if you share them they may be spoiled somehow? That is definitely the case. Gift from the Sea was written by Anne Morrow Lindbergh in 1955. It could absolutely have been written today, and addresses pretty much all of the things that I think about all of the time – simplicity and mindfulness in living, relating life at home to the broader world, and the importance of finding stillness and quiet in which to create. It is the perfect book that came to me at the perfect time, as a gift in the mail in early December. I read it in one sitting, alternating between catching my breath, tearing up, thinking "Y.E.S!" and wondering how she managed to somehow pass through time and space to find me here in the future with her book in my hands, reading the exact words that I needed. Despite the fact that the author has since died and the book was published 61 years ago, this book made me feel like I'm not alone in the world and how I think. (Which is not a small thing.) It reassured me that the world is both beautiful and heartbreaking and has been since the beginning. I’ve been struggling lately with all of the horrific things going on in the world, and how my little life fits into it all. The book provided some much needed perspective, (it was written just after World War II; that alone puts anything into perspective) as well as assurance of some things that I know are true but which can be so easy to forget. I really don't want to say any more about specific chapters and thoughts until I've at least read it a dozen more times. But it seems like that might take awhile, and I wanted you to know that you should get your hands on a copy as soon as you can, fill the tea kettle and settle in by the fire. I hope you love it as much as I do.

new year

January 5, 2016 Sherrie Graham

I love a new year! The possibility and wide-openness are so inspiring. (Truly, I try to approach the world with that every day, but it's more fun when everyone else is on board.) But the new year arrives in winter in this part of the world. Januaries and Februaries can be tricky. They're the months that it's easy to not enjoy, so in an effort to fight that fiercely, I've found some things over the past few years that make them awesome. And in the interest of making the world a more pleasant place, I'll share!

One funny little super-simple thing that I usually do at the beginning of January is to change up the wallpaper on my phone. I tend to find a picture I've taken that I love and leave it there for a long time, and changing it up is just a little reminder of the fresh start that a new year brings. (I chose this picture.) It's surprisingly refreshing. I usually repot some houseplants, and grow half-price amaryllis and paperwhite bulbs found at the grocery store.

Last year, I did my first ever challenge-y sort of thing and did Yoga with Adriene's 30 Days of Yoga. (All of the videos are still available for free on her YouTube channel to watch any old time.) This year, I'm following along with her Yoga Camp. Just the satisfaction from completing something like this is worth the time and energy. It's one of those little things that then makes you feel like you can tackle all sorts of other things, you know?

And the light! It's very much worth appreciating. The days are getting longer, bit by bit (about one minute per day). On a sunny day, the light reflected from the snow is so lovely. And there seem to be plenty of January days where the sun peeks through the layered clouds, particularly at sunset, and it's so, so beautiful.

But since it is winter, there are things like dry skin and winter colds that find us. I posted a recipe for winter skin lotion last February, which is still awesome, and if you're keen on making it, enjoy. I've switched this fall from making lotion to just adding essential oil to grapeseed oil in a small pump bottle. I love it. I use a blend of frankincense and orange oils for scent, and it is perfect. You need to be a bit more careful with the application so it doesn't splatter, but the moisturizing results are similar, and it's simpler to make. It seems to soak in more quickly, too. You can also use straight coconut oil, which will melt in your hand, or any liquid oil right out of the bottle.

For my hands, I melt equal parts beeswax, coconut oil, and olive or grapeseed oil together over a double boiler. The beeswax takes longest to melt, so if you make it, put that in on its own, add the coconut oil when the beeswax is almost melted, then the liquid oil at the end. Swirl together and add some essential oil if you like, then pour into jars or containers, or molds for a lotion bar. This is what I put on my hands every night; mine is in a repurposed mint tin. I just scrape it out with the back of my thumbnail and massage it into my cuticles and all over my hands before hopping in bed, and my hands are in fine shape. We also use it on the boys, especially around their lips. As you can see, the cat likes to put her claws into the edge of that windowsill. It's the perfect height for her to stretch.

In other news (I'm planning to only mention this once because there is nothing less interesting than hearing the details of someone's eating habits) I'm giving the Whole30 a try this month. It's more or less an elimination diet to see which foods might be problematic, and I know I need a break from sugar especially. I'm hoping to maybe find a food-related cause for the headaches I get. (I think they're more stress and tension related, but it can't hurt to try.) Day 3 is almost done, and I am amazed that I haven't missed sugar yet like I thought I would, or been really hungry at all. On tonight's menu is a fennel pork roast; I just rubbed the pork with a mix of fennel seed, black pepper, salt, fresh garlic, and orange zest. I layered orange slices on the bottom of the pan, and buried the meat in chopped fennel. Yum!

Also on a food note, I LOVE GRAPEFRUIT. We have piles of it on hand (my one mandatory purchase when we were in the big city and visited Costco over Christmas was two giant bags of grapefruit.) I have a bit of a gross cold / sinus thing, so I'm hoping that overloading on citrus can only help.

Happy, happy new year. I hope that the year has started well for you, that you're looking forward to the months to come, and that 2016 brings you love and joy.

Merry, merry

December 26, 2015 Sherrie Graham

Merry, merry Christmas! Happy holidays, merry everything. I was considering not posting about our Christmas season - it has seemed so lovely and perfect I almost didn't want to spoil it, somehow. But I do look back at my posts now and then, and I want to remember this. We hosted a potluck for friends, which we do pretty regularly, but until this year we hadn't at Christmas, and it was the best! I made the ornaments above with melted beeswax (from our bees!) and was so happy to give them as little gifts from our farm, mixed and matched with a few half-dozens of our gorgeous eggs, some soap, hand balm, and honey. My loveliest wrapping job this year was some gifts that I wrapped and delivered for friends and just had to document. We have two trees up, one with just white lights at the top of the stairs, and of course there was turkey! A really-delicious-fresh-and-local turkey my parents brought over, and baked oatmeal with raspberries and blueberries and pecans for breakfast as is our tradition (mostly because it's easy to put together the night before). There was a game of magnetic darts found under the tree, and a walk at the lighthouse on a balmy Christmas afternoon.

So much love and joy to you, today and every day. May you have a heart full of gratitude and love.

To make the beeswax ornaments, I melted beeswax, poured it into nonstick cookie molds, and carefully looped baker's twine and laid it on the backs of the ornaments just as the beeswax was beginning to set. When they were almost cooled, I etched a message and the year on the back. Easy peasy, simple, and beautiful - I'm tickled pink with how they turned out.

cream of broccoli soup

December 13, 2015 Sherrie Graham

If you lived in Yarmouth in the 90's, you may well remember Joshua's on Water Street. The building now houses the Yarmouth Pub (where I still haven't been) but back when I was in high school, there was a little coffee shop there that served sandwiches and soups. Incidentally, I believe it was named after Joshua Slocum. My high school was within a 10 minute walk, so often on school days, a bunch of us would scurry down for lunch, hoping to get a table first, and if it was available, I ordered their cream of broccoli soup. It was perfect. Especially so when it happened to be freezing outside, and because I was a stubborn girl in high school, I was almost never dressed for the weather.

For the past 15 years or so I have been learning to make everything under the sun from scratch, but for some reason, I think I've only ever tried making cream of broccoli once or twice. It just didn't turn out as deliciously as I knew it should, and the only thing worse than no cream of broccoli soup is cream of broccoli soup that doesn't satisfy the craving for it.

Well, I have good news to report. Last night, in a hurried dig through the freezer to see what I could rustle up for supper, I found a bag of frozen broccoli. I read through a few recipes, took this thing and that thing and came up with one to try, managed to remember to write it down, and here it is. I am happy to report that it is PERFECT. It is creamy, but not too thick and heavy - and very pleasantly broccoli-ish. Perfect for this time of year!

Cream of Broccoli Soup

1 large onion, or 2 small ones, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

1 carrot, diced

2 tbsp butter

1 bag frozen broccoli (you could also use a head of fresh)

3 cups chicken or vegetable broth (I used chicken Better than Boullion because that's what I had on hand)

2 cups milk

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp flour

pepper to taste

Sautée onion, celery, and carrot in butter until softened, 5 or 6 minutes. Add broth and broccoli, and simmer 10 minutes, or until broccoli is cooked through. Very carefully whiz the soup in batches in a blender or use an immersion blender right in the pot. I prefer leaving some chunks intact. In a separate pot, melt 3 tbsp butter and whisk in flour and pepper until it thickens and comes together. Slowly whisk in the milk, and heat through. Add milk mixture to broccoli blend, stir, and season to taste. Enjoy! It's even better the next day.

*I made this with all of the flour and dairy called for, but there are some substitutions I imagine would work (but I can't vouch for them). For gluten free, I would add a cubed potato for some thickness, or you could still do the roux at the end but use tapioca or another starch. You could try to replace the milk with coconut or unsweetened nut milk, but I can't promise that it will taste as amazing. But please report back if you try!*

it's beginning to look a lot...

November 29, 2015 Sherrie Graham

Our little town's Christmas parade was last night, and as always, the boys were delighted. One of the best things about having kids is seeing things through their eyes, and being more or less forced to go to or do fun things that you might otherwise skip. I'm always glad when I do, and seeing their delight is so good for my heart.

I picked up a few little things on a walk in the woods with the boys last weekend, and have the kitchen windowsill decked out. We don't have many Christmas decorations (very intentionally) but we brought out the boxes yesterday, and the boys were very excited to take everything out. I keep Christmas books and music in one box, and they were so sweet as they took out the books - "Oh! The Mitten! Do you remember this one?" I guess that's the magical thing about traditions. We'll go back in the woods to cut our tree, probably next weekend, and then it will really feel like Christmas is coming. I'm still somewhere back in October in my mind. I have most gifts ready, our cards are ordered, and our calendar is looking gloriously open for the month, but I feel the need to do a master list of everything that needs to be done and remembered. I think I'll tackle that and the week's menu / grocery list today.

Proving that I'm really a senior in disguise, my favourite thing on the internet right now is a YouTube channel with episodes of Martha Stewart Living from the 90's. The bread she makes in this Christmas episode is epic! (I love watching Martha make bread.) And the thatched walls at the beginning are hysterical. I can't imagine anyone going to those lengths - but it's still fun to watch. What I love most about watching those and looking at Martha's old books (I picked up this gem from 1989 at Frenchy's) is to see how much has changed. But there are still some great recipes and ideas in there!

It's a beautiful morning, sunny and clear and mild. I tidied the barn, cleaned the coop, cleaned up the chickens' run and collected 8 beautiful eggs. As an early Christmas gift, I built a little swing for the chickens out in the run. They were off free-ranging behind the barn as I was cleaning up, so I haven't seen if they're interested in it yet - I hope it provides some entertainment and keeps them out of trouble.

We watched Mr Holmes the other night. It was wonderful. And to our bee-and-Sherlock-Holmes-loving hearts, it was especially great. A beautiful story, beautifully portrayed. Get the kleenex out before you settle in!

If you're looking for something simple and delicious to make, try this Curried Squash Soup. It's been a staple in our house since 2004. I first posted the recipe way back in 2007. I made it again last night, and it's what's on the menu for today's lunch. Enjoy!

Putting the garden to bed

November 17, 2015 Sherrie Graham

I feel a lot like a squirrel in the fall, save the furry tail. I’m skittering around, doing a million things and chattering away. And like any good squirrel, putting away some goodies for the winter. I can’t even describe how pleasing it is to store something away for later, by drying, canning, or freezing. Whatever the method, it’s doing something kind for your future self, it’s being intentional and planning ahead, and when you put those local blueberries into a smoothie in January or pop open a jar of dill pickles in March, it’s really, really satisfying. Really. I did most of these things in October, but there are still a few little tasks left to be done - the weather this fall has been exceptionally mild and things hung on for much longer than usual. I posted about our little garden earlier in the season, here.

The garden is pretty much wrapped up. I collected the dried peas to plant next year. I grow organic Green Arrow peas; I’ve always had really good success with them, they keep on producing for ages, and and they’re delicious. This is the first year that I’ve saved the seeds; I’m going to dry them really well, and hopefully have good success next year too. Saving seeds is so… sustainable. It’s like trying to hold Mother Nature a little bit and feels like accomplishing a minor miracle.

The tomatoes! Holy smokes, did we have tomatoes! I have no idea what variety they were; Adam started them and they were nice plump cherry tomatoes. Not a tonne of flavour, but passable. Staking them up just didn’t happen, so they flopped over and went wild, and I thought that we would be lucky to get any. We got SO MANY! I’ve frozen some, we’ve eaten lots fresh, I’ve used them in soups and I have another basket full in the freezer. It was especially delightful to have so many this year because we lost all of last year's crop to blight.

This year was also the first time that I grew pumpkins or garlic. I had a pile of chicken litter from the coop composted down by the barn, and that’s where we planted the pumpkins. Again, I don’t know what variety they were, but the one plant that survived a late frost in the spring did so well. We have eleven large, gorgeous pumpkins at the front step for the last several weeks. The garlic did incredibly well, too – huge, gorgeous bulbs. We’ll use them in our regular cooking, as well as my crazy concoctions I come up with when we’re feeling colds coming on. T, the five year old, will even eat a freshly crushed clove in honey! He’s a trooper, that one. (And then he smells like garlic for days.)

I’ve now collected the last of the herbs to dehydrate; I’ve got mint, parsley, sage, and tarragon dried and tucked into the pantry. We were given a beautiful bag of local pears which I'll do something delicious with this week (any suggestions?) and we have a couple of spaghetti squash from my Dad's garden to eat up soon.

Just writing this post makes my heart happy. It just feels so good in every possible way to grow and eat food. Speaking of food, a few things I've been enjoying lately:

I saw this recipe, and made it the next day. It is AMAZING. I have been eating it every meal since, and sneaking bites of cold leftovers for breakfast. It's incredible. I used some tiny, super-flavourful apples from one of the old trees at the edge of the field and apple cider vinegar that I made from apples from another tree.

My new favourite snack is whole toasted almonds pressed into dates. SO good.

Pomegranates! Clementines! Juicy grapefruit! It's my favourite fruit season again at last.

mid-November

November 10, 2015 Sherrie Graham

The past couple of weeks have been full of all sorts of 'exceptions' to regular life, but those are the things that make up our lives after all, aren't they? Thomas and I were both sick, Phillip had minor ear surgery, and on it goes. These are the times when I have to remind myself that these are simply the ebbs and flows of life, and there is no perfect point at which I will feel on top of everything. Finding contentment and peace in the midst of it all is key. And so I clip beautiful berries and bring them in the house.

I have a few favourite things about November. First, beeswax candles and the coziness that early sunset brings - it feels like the house is hugging me each evening when I close the curtains. The scent of the woods is so sweet and magical. I haven't been out in them lately at all, due to aforementioned sickness and hunting season, and that needs to be remedied, but I keep catching sweet whiffs of earth and it is heavenly. There's also anticipation of the holidays, which I haven't given a whole lot of thought to and am feeling super relaxed and easy about this year - greens and beeswax candles, a tree from our woods, a few homemade gifts and I am set - I want as low-fuss a season as possible. Honestly, it feels like Christmas morning every day when I go to the barn and collect eggs. I'm being completely serious - it's such a happy and surprising delight to discover these beautiful little gifts each morning.

Our friendlier chickens, the brown layers (in the foreground) and the Easter Eggers (they were behind me) always come running when they see me on my way to the barn, as they're looking for treats. Which is wonderful, delightful, and hilarious. Everyone should have the experience of having a flock of chickens half running, half-flying/skimming the ground to meet them. Our other dark-feathered birds are Marans and Olive Eggers, which have the most beautiful feather colours, but they're so jumpy and skittish, it's hard to get close. I have to sit still with treats for quite awhile before they'll warm up and come remotely close to me. (And then there are the Barred Rock roosters which I was hoping were hens. And that's all we'll say about them.) But I caught this picture of these two lovely ladies and couldn't help sharing. They're 16 weeks old now, and should start laying sometime over the next several weeks - I'm already excited.

A few other odds and ends:

We have so much to learn from the bees!

Hygge!

This is the Christmas vibe I go for.

I've been feeling entirely too serious and grown-up lately. I need some funny podcast recommendations, and any other suggestions to bring a bit of lightheartedness and laughter would be welcome!

Cleaning house, part one: clean air

November 1, 2015 Sherrie Graham

"There was a blizzard on. The cold was something frightful. Made one quite thankful to get back to the fug, though as a rule I think the way these trains are overheated is something scandalous.” M. Bouc sighed. “It is very difficult to please everybody,” he said. “The English they open everything—then others they come along and shut everything. It is very difficult.” Agatha Christie, Murder on the Orient Express

There are several subjects that I could talk about for days, and cleaning is one of them. (Agatha Christie, Murder She Wrote, and chickens are a few of the others.) So I thought I would write up a few posts about how I keep our house clean, in the hopes that you might find some inspiration. Of course, do your research and figure out what works for you.

Since air takes up most of the space in our homes and we're breathing it as we're awake and asleep, I thought it would be a good place to start. It's been about a decade since I started questioning conventional 'wisdom' (i.e. marketing) about what makes a home clean, and I have some definite opinions. The long and the short of it is: don't believe people who are trying to get your money by convincing you that you and your housekeeping skills are inadequate.

These aren't particularly glamorous insights, but practical and true. And I think that's far more important. A few things of which I am firmly convinced:

Clean does not have a scent.
Cleaning does not need to involve separate purchased products for ever possible eventuality.
Perfectly simple and effective ingredients that you probably already have on hand in your kitchen can clean your whole house effectively.
Reusable is better than disposable.
Soap and hot water will take care of pretty much everything.

There are plenty of sources of indoor air pollution. (You could spend days reading about all of the things that contribute; I find that focusing on those things gets tiresome. But if you're interested, there is plenty of information out there. Cleaners, candles, air 'fresheners', burning wood, pets, off-gassing of glues in pressed wood, flooring, and furniture, etc. ) Here in Nova Scotia, we're fortunate to have clean air and a fresh sea breeze pretty much all of the time. So my number one way to improve the air quality in our house is about as simple as it gets - I open the windows. If it were up to me, they would all be open, all year. (Adam takes issue with having the furnace running and windows cracked open in January. But I'll still sneak one open even for a few minutes to freshen things up. Stale air is my arch-nemesis.)

Keeping dust in check also improves air quality. We're fortunate to have all wood floors, which are simple to keep clean. I love the Bona mop and hardwood floor kit - simple, inexpensive, effective, scent-free, and reusable; the cleaning pads just go in the wash. (No one's compensating me for any products I mention!) The boys actually enjoy helping with that chore. For dusting other surfaces, I use water and a microfibre cloth or mitt. I bought a few Norwex cloths several years ago (the travel size; I find the others way too large), and they look as good and work as well as the day I bought them. Again, they just get tossed in the washer. For windows, I use the microfibre cloth and a diluted vinegar spray. (1 part vinegar to 2 parts water in a spray bottle.) If you don't care for the smell of vinegar, the scent dissipates quickly. Especially when the windows are open.

I do love a beautiful natural scent, and essential oils are a lovely alternative to artificially scented air "fresheners", and I use them in many ways. They're concentrated plant oils, and are completely different from artificial fragrance oils. I also use them when I make soap, so I have plenty on hand. They are pricey, but a few drops go a loooong way and can be used for many different things. I will often put a few drops of an essential oil (usually lemon or orange) on a cotton ball and put that into the vacuum canister for a little hit of fresh scent as I vacuum the area rugs. (Which I always do with the windows open, just because I can.) I also have a diffuser that I use primarily when someone is congested, but which is lovely any time. I add a few drops to the unscented dish detergent that I use (made by Down East), which is also what I use with hot water and a dish cloth to wipe down counters and the stove top in the kitchen. I also dilute it (3 parts water to one part soap) in a reused foaming pump for hand soap. I also have a diffuser in the car that I put a few drops of peppermint essential oil on as I drive.

Another lovely way to scent the air is baking, as is simmering thyme, vanilla, and citrus peels on the stovetop for a little while. Cooking a batch of apple sauce or butter in the slow cooker smells particularly delightful and fall-ish.

Plants also help to filter the air, and I obviously have a plant problem. Making our own cleaners saves money, time, packaging, waste, and avoids rinsing questionable ingredients down the drain. And it is not complicated! You could read books and blogs and spend weeks learning everything that there is to know, but I can sum it up for you: diluted vinegar and water for cleaning glass, hot soap and water for just about everything else. Baking soda if you need scrubbiness. (I have mine in a shaker jar from a restaurant supply store.) Spray 5% hydrogen peroxide (sometimes sold as 'oxygen bleach', but completely different from chlorine bleach) then vinegar on a surface to disinfect; let sit for 5 minutes after the first, then spray the second. (This is not effective in the same way as chlorine bleach, which wipes out just about everything, but it's suitable for general household purposes and I could talk to you all day about that, too.)

Ooooh, I could go on for days! Actually, I could write a lengthy post about each thing I mentioned in this one. But I'll stop there for today. I hope I've inspired you to think about the air in your home and to open a window or two.

In other house news, Phillip woke up at 5:00 this morning (thanks, time change!) and spent 2 1/2 hours sorting, itemizing, listing and placing today's allotment of candy in order. He volunteered to give half of his candy to Thomas, who has had a high fever for several days and couldn't go out trick-or-treating last night. Thankfully, Thomas is much perkier this morning and his temperature is finally normal! I'm hoping that's the end of it.

In other miscellany, a great horned owl broke through our coop window and killed seven chickens last week. (I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried.) Three were roosters, so I suppose the owl saved me a bit of trouble in the long run. It also killed my blue-egg laying Easter Egger and three ISA browns. Par for the course, I suppose - the owl was just doing its thing. I was away for work and Adam had to deal with the mess, which I felt kind of bad (and kind of thankful) for.

Happy November! I hope the month is good to you.

every night

October 14, 2015 Sherrie Graham

We enjoy the most beautiful sunsets over the treeline at the top of the back field. Tonight's show was especially peachy on my way down to tuck in the chickens and kittens for the night. Like most days, we're busy with the usual evening routines, and there are always so many things that need doing. I really appreciate how the chickens need one of us every night at dusk to close them in safely for the night - I'm always glad to go down, catch a breath of fresh air and see something lovely, and it's usually when I need it the most that I'm least keen to do it.

In other chicken news, we've been getting 13 eggs for the past couple of days! This is terribly exciting. Also, we are sending Amos Tupper (I) (the gorgeous Easter Egger rooster) off to a new home tomorrow. He's come after Thomas and I when our backs are turned, and I'm concerned that he could seriously hurt one of the boys. I will have none of that. We have two younger roosters, Silver-Laced Wyandottes, which are the last remaining roosters. They can stick around, and if they don't cause any trouble, they're welcome to stay.

oh, october!

October 8, 2015 Sherrie Graham

There aren’t too many things that make me happier than cool weather, wearing scarves, seeing pumpkins and mums on steps, and spiced EVERYTHING. I'll add a few more things to that list - collecting fresh eggs first thing in the morning to warm my hands as I walk back up to the house, the feeling of wearing a soft sweater and house socks, the crispness of the air and lighting beeswax candles at the supper table. So far this fall, I’ve made pumpkin spice syrup, spiced peach butter, cinnamon raisin bread, and a spiced plum upside-down cake. And I've tried (again) to make a batch of my own apple cider vinegar with apples from our trees, and it seems to be working this time! My tea has shifted from summer's green tea in the mornings to September’s Yorkshire Gold, and now I’m on to Tazo’s chai. I had a glass-walled thermal mug that I used every day to drink it from on my way to work, which I broke yesterday while trying to carry too many things into the house at once. Such is life!

Fall is a full time for us, as it is for most families. The boys are now settled into the new school year routine. The bus is going very well! I am really, really enjoying that part of our mornings – we all go out together to wait for the bus; it’s only a couple of minutes, but they’re sweet ones. It’s a little bit darker each morning when we go out; the moon has been in view these last few clear mornings. Adam’s coaching basketball again this year, and both boys are participating in that, as well as piano lessons. One thing we haven’t done as much as I would have liked by now is getting out to the camp. It’s always when I’m the busiest and need it most that I don’t make the time to do all of the things that make me feel alive. Note to self.

In other fall loveliness, some fallish things I enjoy:

The Girl Next Door Podcast's fall enthusiasm, like in this episode.

Hannah Queen's Instagram feed.

Create a "To-Don't-Do List". You might want to grab the tissues before watching this one - fall also seems to be a time of more, more, more - and I want it to be a time of less, less, less.

P.D. James - I've gone on P.D. James benders every fall for the past several years, when the weather turns colder and the leaves are gone - usually right around the beginning of November. Fall seems to be the time of year that many of her books are set, and i love listening to them while I drive - the ones narrated by Charles Rogers are the best.

Happy Thanksgiving to you fellow Canadians - I hope you enjoy a restful weekend with family and friends!

Golden September and surprise

September 28, 2015 Sherrie Graham

I associate months of the year with corresponding colours. Not in a true synesthesia sort of way; just the way my brain works. When I think of the month names, May is pink, and June is vivid green. While I'm at it, here are the rest: January is grey (but a lovely light grey with a hint of blue), February is navy blue, but with a bit of grey in it, March is white, April is bright Smurf blue, July is red, August is a washed-out yellow like bright yellow canvas that was out in the sun for too long, October is vivid orange, November is a lovely dark rusty brown, and December is the deepest forest green. September is the golden yellow of sunflowers and goldenrod. Obviously. (Just to clarify, it's not goldenrod in the picture; it's actually called Stinking Willie, which I think is possibly the best weed name, ever.)

I have tried to grow sunflowers on many, many occasions. I love how perfectly cheerful and wide open to the world they are. It's one of those gardening things where everyone else seems to have no trouble at all, but mine would never grow - usually just before the first true leaves appeared, slugs or some other critter would nibble them down to the ground. I tried starting them indoors, directly, in different beds, at different places we lived - no luck. So a few years ago, I gave up. Not in a defeated sort of way, just a happy relinquishing of control to the universe. So imagine my great delight and surprise when this summer, with almost no effort on my part whatsoever, this happened.

I think I was more delighted than I would have been if I had worked hard to get these to grow. In the spring, I scattered some sunflower seeds in the run for our old flock of hens. After they were gone, the seeds they missed had a chance to get started while the younger chickens were still too small to be out in the run. By the time they were big enough, it was like their own personal little jungle filled with sturdy-stemmed sunflowers. It was perfect, actually - they had shade from the leaves through the hottest weather and could have a spot to hide if they wanted.

The bees were certainly pleased about it, too. This isn't one of our bees, but there were often at least four or five on each flower.

I took these pictures a few weeks ago; things are looking sparer now that the first frost has come and many of the weeds have died back. Now that the sunflowers have faded and the seeds have developed, the chickens are enjoying those, too.

I do love a good poem. E.E. Cummings, and Mary Oliver are two poets whose work always hit the spot. I think I need to have a poetry binge, and soon. This is the one, by Alice Walker, which came to mind as I was thinking about surprise.

Expect nothing. Live frugally
On surprise.
become a stranger
To need of pity
Or, if compassion be freely
Given out
Take only enough
Stop short of urge to plead
Then purge away the need.

Wish for nothing larger
Than your own small heart
Or greater than a star;
Tame wild disappointment
With caress unmoved and cold
Make of it a parka
For your soul.

Discover the reason why
So tiny human midget
Exists at all
So scared unwise
But expect nothing. Live frugally
On surprise.

settling in

September 11, 2015 Sherrie Graham

I felt the last remainders of my summer mentality of ease and possibility fade away yesterday, as I became completely wrapped up in the new school year and all of the hectic nuttiness that comes along with that. My job is very scattered; I cover a lot of physical territory, and have a lot of details to keep on top of. Usually it's fine and feels manageable, but there are days when I feel like there are lists coming out of my ears and threatening to bury me alive, and how on earth is one person supposed to accomplish this all and stay sane? So I was thinking back to that summer feeling and trying to figure out how to capture that in little snippets through the rest of the year. When I'm at my best in the summer, I feel calm, not rushed, like I'm doing the things I want to do, and like there is enough time to do them well. Of course during the school year, I have to succumb to the schedules of schools and all of the other people I work with, which sometimes makes me feel as though it's impossible to do my job well. That's part of the reason, I think, why home is so important to me - it's my constant, and the place where I have created 'space' through minimal stuff and living intentionally. Speaking of which, I've been listening to The Slow Home podcast as I've been driving these past few days, and I really enjoyed the episode with Kelly Exeter (Episode 21) and the chat about white space and inefficiencies. Oooooh, boy - I identified with trying to maximize every moment. I will say that one of the perks of my job is that I get to travel the most beautiful part of the most beautiful province (in my humble opinion). Evidence above - today I got to take a ferry just before heavy rain started, and I somehow magically managed to capture that very particular colour of the water, which I adore, and that particular light that happens just before or after rain. Bonus: the little lighthouse on the island at the left of the picture. Moments like that take me out of my swirling head and make me feel like everything is going to be fine.

And this moment from the week wasn't too shabby, either.

Back on the home front... in my last post, I commented on how the boys' bus schedule would affect our days, and I'm pleased to report that their pick-up time is magical. It falls exactly where it best fits for us, at 7:10. We're all usually up at 6:00, and that gives us time to get up, I get ready to go to work while Adam feeds the boys breakfast and packs their lunches, and by the time everyone's ready and has their shoes on, it's just at the right time. Even more perfectly, it gives me a precious few minutes before I have to leave for the day - I go down to the barns to feed the kittens and let them out for the day (they're doing very well at catching mice down there!), take stock of the morning and take a few deep breaths as I look across the fields for deer and other interesting developments (the morning mist is gorgeous at this time of year) and if I'm really relaxed about it, I putter over to the garden to pick some cucumbers, tomatoes, and kale.

Two more exciting developments at home - the first is that we at long last have dining room chairs that aren't dangerous! I'm thrilled with them - they actually match the original chairs that were with the table quite well, and are even more sturdy. They feel like they're meant to be sat upon, quite unlike the previous ones. I'm tickled pink.

And the second - we did our first honey harvest last weekend! We just extracted from seven frames, and have thirteen beautiful litres of honey! I am so very, very, very, very pleased. I'm glad that I have so many beautiful jars on hand.

In other good news, it is pouring rain today! It has been so, so dry. We've filled the well twice, and I've been lugging water to the gardens, and washing laundry and getting water jugs filled for the chickens and kittens at my parents' house. Which is not exactly convenient, but it does remind me how much I can take this precious resource for granted. I'm going to wash a celebratory load of laundry tonight!

Shift

August 30, 2015 Sherrie Graham

I'm finally forced to admit it - I return to work this week, and the boys to school. Truthfully, I love so many things about the shift to a more structured routine, and the boys are excited to start school again. Their bus schedule will absolutely set the framework for the day for both Adam and I, and we're eagerly awaiting the call which will give us specific times. Their new shoes and school supplies are packed and ready, and I have my new package of Sharpie Pens and my weekly Moleskine planner just waiting to be put into action. It gives me a little thrill.

Any kind of shift like this always has my brain jumping in a thousand different directions. So many things to be excited about, all at once. All of the perfect lunches for the boys (even though Adam puts them together every morning), all of the perfect lunches for me to take (my favourite is a bit of bean salad, some delicious meats, and a bit of Swiss cheese) and all of the suppers that I can be clever about and put in the slow cooker before I go to work. I want to go all Pinterest-crazy and make everything perfect and new and exciting. But then I settle into a more realistic version of things, and just make sure my thermal tea mug is clean, and that I know who needs to be where, when.

So while my brain explodes over here (it's a good thing, really!) and I have menu ideas swirling around in the back of my mind along with being excited abouteverything else related to fall (harvesting the zillions of fall pumpkins that are growing down by the barns and lighting beeswax candles and wearing scarves and finally (hopefully) finding wide-calf brown leather boots that fit (this has been an ongoing struggle) and cool mornings and the changing light), here are a few things that I've been enjoying.

Erin has a great post about bar soap over at her beautiful blog Reading My Tea Leaves. I love her style, and of course she's right about the soap. There are so many great things about it! I think I'll make a few batches tomorrow to last us for the next little while.

I'm reading this book and really enjoying it. Speaking of books, the beautiful book pictured was a gift from our neighbour - she is 89, it was her father's, and he kept bees next door many, many years ago. It's beautiful.

I can't wait to make these! Maybe tonight!

And I'm also hoping to get a batch of these put up very soon.

I hope that your week goes smoothly, whether it's one of transitions or not!

'the shore'

August 24, 2015 Sherrie Graham

I've written about it before, but there is one little beach that I think is the very best. Living in Nova Scotia, there is a wonderfully ridiculous number of beaches within easy driving distance, but this one has my heart. There are a couple of more popular beaches, like Port Maitland, and Mavillette, which are long, sandy, gorgeous places, but my favourites are the quiet ones which you're almost guaranteed to have to yourself.

I grew up at the top of the hill, just a few hundred metres from this little spot. We always called the entirety of the little area at the bottom of the hill 'the shore'; the term loosely includes the buildings, the wharf, the beaches, the drawbridge, and the 'shore pond'. If Dad was 'at the shore' in the summer, it meant that he was repairing pots or rope, freezing bait, or some other task related to his work running a lobster boat, and I loved helping him whenever I could. One of my preferred jobs was holding the freezer bags for bait open while the slimy, not-super-fresh bait was slopped by dip net out of a large grey plastic box on the back of the truck and flipped over into the bag, which rested in a shallow cardboard box. I folded the edges of the bags in, fitted the cardboard lid on snugly, and the box was whisked off into the freezer to be ready for use in the winter. This resulted in being generously splattered with fish scales and smelly fish juice, and I loved it. It was real work, a tangible job that needed to be done, and I felt helpful and useful (whether I actually was or not).

My Dad still fishes from the wharf, and it has changed a lot since I was a kid. But the smells are the same - bait and hot sand, mud flats and the ever-changing sea smell in the air, fuel and seaweed.

I spent hours and days on the beach, collecting shells and sea glass, lying on the hot rocks, wading in tide pools, and looking for fossils in the giant shale ledges. It has my heart.

These days, I most often stop at the closest little part of the beach with the boys for a little while before we visit my parents. They're both completely happily occupied for a long time, and Thomas always wants to stay longer. It's calming and quiet for me, and I love soaking in the particulars of the day - the shades of blue in the water, the types of shells that have washed up, and what the light is doing as it moves through the water. And if there's fog or mist, that's the very best.

These pictures were from yesterday, when we visited the beach before heading to my parents' for showers, since the formerly almost-empty well was down to the very last bit of water. I'm happy to report that we just had it filled for a very reasonable price, and we have some very dear guests coming to visit for a few days this week. It's been far too long since we've seen them, and I'm looking forward to catching up with them and making the most of this last full week of summer.

full hearts

August 19, 2015 Sherrie Graham

We have been having the loveliest summer. My heart feels so content and full - we've seen so many friends this summer, old and new. We just participated in weddings of two couples we're very close to, and there's really nothing like a big party celebrating love to make a person feel warm and fuzzy. It has been so, so lovely! I'm smiling as I type this.

One unfortunate thing to have happened was this morning when Adam turned the tap, and nothing happened. Apparently our well is dry, so we're going to have to get creative. Thankfully, my parents aren't far, so we can shower and do laundry there. The chickens have a few days' worth of water, which I filled up yesterday. The forecast is calling for rain on Saturday, and I'm hoping for a lot of it. We'll manage!

Some wedding decorations made it back to our house after Adam's brother's wedding, and I'm pretty pleased. It's the sweetest, cheeriest bunting! Perfect for the summer.

Speaking of that wedding, someone fell asleep partway through. He was just too sleepy - when he woke up, his nose was all smooshed in and lined. Who could fall asleep in that position on a hard wooden pew? This kid, apparently.

And honey! We have a bit of honey harvested, and more on the way! I am over the moon. The chickens are doing well; the younger chicks have moved down into an enclosure in the larger coop for the next little while, until everyone's old enough to co-mingle and eat the same feed. I cannot even explain how glad I am to have them out of the basement! I'm seeing plenty of roosters amongst them already, but I'm holding out hope for plenty of hens.

We still have a bit of time before going back to work and school, and there are many lovely things (including more visiting with friends from away!) to enjoy.

the white and wood kitchen, before and after

July 31, 2015 Sherrie Graham

If you're new here, welcome! Just to catch you up, we moved to our forever home on 40 acres in rural Nova Scotia last summer, just a few minutes from where I grew up, and are learning a lot while keeping bees and chickens and establishing some gardens. We renovated an old farmhouse, and I had the luxury of designing a new kitchen from (almost) scratch. Since this is the sort of thing that I love to read about others' experiences with and geek out on details, I thought I'd post some before and after pictures for you and tell you about what we chose to do. It's a long one, so grab a cup of tea and settle in. Enjoy!

First, the "befores":

The kitchen before was... sad. The floor sagged (a lot, although you don't see it much in these shots), there were sheets of fake brick print, there was no dishwasher or real place for a stove or fridge, and the bathroom was directly off of the kitchen. I originally intended to keep the existing bank of cupboards where the sink is, but because of some of the changes we would be making (moving the stove to that wall, adding space for the dishwasher and needing to access the inside of the wall for plumbing and electrical) it turned out to be easier and less expensive in the long run to tear out the old cupboards and start fresh.

And... after!

I originally wanted flush doors on the upper and lower cabinet doors, but I also wanted drawers for the pots and pans next to the stove. The configuration of the drawer sliders didn't allow enough room inside to accommodate the doors inside of the cupboard box, so I compromised with flush doors for the upper cupboards, and sticky-out ones on the lower doors and drawer fronts.

The butcher-block countertops were made locally and are maple. I love them! We've oiled them several times (and probably should again soon) and they just look so warm and inviting. They're durable and forgiving, too. I wanted something that would last a long time, that I wouldn't get tired of, and I especially love that they can be relatively easily sanded and re-oiled if needed down the road, and at the end of its life, it's just wood and a bit of glue - it will break down much better than laminate options.

The dishwasher was placed right next to the sink (rinse dishes, turn, place in dishwasher) and the silverware drawer is next to that (pick up the clean utensils, put them directly in the drawer.) The cupboard for dishes is right above that, also making clean up a bit smoother.

The taller pantry cupboards on the far right have pull-out drawers for storing dry goods. Above there, and over the fridge, we have seasonal appliances stored.

The stand mixer is too heavy to lift and move around every time I use it, so it gets to stay on the counter; other appliances are stored in cupboards when not in use. I tried to think everything through that we do in the kitchen and make a really efficient and tidy, but also warm and welcoming space. So far I'm very pleased.

I am a fan of a fridge with things on it! It's a sign of life, and we have a constant rotation of pictures, cards, drawings, invitations on it. They remind me of all of the people we know and love, and that's why to me, a busy fridge is more important than a perfectly bare one.

Another major change we made was to move the doorway into the bathroom from directly in the kitchen (ick) to off of the laundry porch. It also makes handwashing after chicken-tending or for quick trips inside much easier, since it's now a straight path, and that dirt doesn't have to go through the rest of the house. And best of all, it allowed us to use that whole side of the kitchen for cupboards, making a huge difference in how efficiently the space is used.

I have a bit of a cookbook collection, so I wanted some open shelves to allow easy access to them. A few glass doors let me display a bit of thrifted pottery when it's not out and being used. Under that, the top cupboard (with two doors) was originally going to be an open shelf for a microwave. But our microwave died just before we moved, and we decided that we really didn't need it after all. And I'm so glad we didn't just go out and buy another one! Now it's a large slide-out drawer with snacks and lunch boxes in it. In the corner below, we have a Spin-a-Bin (3 bins for garbage and recycling), and it's great.

Over the sink, we have two windows where we can see down to the pond and the barns where the chickens and bees are. These and the little window on the opposite wall all open, allowing for good air flow to clear cooking scents and steam. I very intentionally have no window coverings on them - it would be visual clutter that I don't want, and one more thing to wash. And the light! It's so beautifully bright in the kitchen at almost any time of day, and I don't want window coverings to block the light.

We opted for no backsplash in the end; I had originally thought I would like horizontal white shiplap, but it would have been a pain because of the thickness that was available. And I really like it white. (No big surprise there.)

There are two 'contractor special' light fixtures on the ceiling, each with three bulbs in them, and there's a single bulb fixture over the sink, under cupboard lighting under the bookshelves, and the extra light built in to the range hood. So we have many options for how to light the space. The house is so bright that we barely turn the lights on during the summer, but during the winter, having a well-lit kitchen with lots of options is a sanity saver.

To the left of the stove, the small upper drawer houses our spice jars, which are labelled on the top for easy identification. Before you have a fit and say it's too warm there, we buy them in small quantities, and the cupboard wall provides enough insulation that they're not exposed to much heat. The lower cupboard is actually a large, tall, pull-out drawer which holds our cutting boards and cookie sheets. I love it.

And if you're looking for more details and specific sources...

First, colours. The walls throughout the house are Window's Dress, a Style at Home colour from Home Hardware. The kitchen cupboards and trim throughout the house are Benjamin Moore's Simply White. The sink is Kohler, the stove and fridge are Kenmore. The dishwasher is made by KitchenAid, and was a floor model that I got a steal of a deal on ($700 off!). The cupboard knobs and drawer pulls are from Home Hardware, in the bulk packages of handles in the oil rubbed bronze finish. The floors are cognac oak from Home Depot. (The colour on my monitor from that link to a sample looks absolutely nothing like the colour in real life; it's much more as it appears in my pictures.) We have the same floors throughout the house (except for the bathrooms and laundry porch) and I absolutely love that. It's so easy to clean, and I haven't had any issues with wood in the kitchen whatsoever. And I love how it looks. I found the New Zealand wool mat at Frenchy's, a local thrift store, and it's probably my favourite find of all time. It's super durable and big enough to catch any water drips from dishes, but small enough to quickly vacuum and shake outside. After a long process, the light fixtures are the least expensive options from Kent; we thought that we'd be able to raise the ceiling quite a bit higher, but because of how it was built, we weren't able to, which also means we weren't able to install the school house light fixtures I purchased; (they're now in the office and at the bottom of the stairs.) So I had to find ones that very tall husband would have ample clearance with.

We also now have a shallow broom cupboard next to the fridge, with cleaning supplies above. I LOVE IT. (See the laundry on the floor in the porch? Real life!)

Really, truly, my overall favourite thing about the kitchen is how efficient it is. Everything has a place, there's easily room for Adam and I to be cooking or getting ready for the day at the same time with the boys coming and going, everything works well and every inch of space is used. Even if it's just used as a small empty place to rest my eyes - I looooove opening my silverware drawer - all that's in it is cutlery. One small tray, cutlery, and space all around. That's it. I'm so pleased every time I open it.

Phew! If you've stuck through all of this, congratulations. What have I forgotten? Is there anything you'd like to know? Ask away!

...and more chickens

July 24, 2015 Sherrie Graham

This is Jessica Fletcher (II), a very curious and interfering busybody of an Easter Egger hen. She really likes my phone.

To me, the very best and useful animals to keep are chickens. I love the bees, and someday might consider goats, but chickens have my heart. They are small and manageable, easy to care for, provide eggs and meat, and their poop is great composted for the garden. They're also good, quiet company - not to mention pretty. And they're like tiny dinosaurs! There are some down sides - everything eats them (foxes, skunks, dogs, cats, coyotes, weasels, mink, etc.) so you need to be super vigilant to keep them protected. If their coop isn't carefully managed and cleaned, it can smell. But when well tended, they're just lovely to have around.

My chicken story up until now, in short: I wanted chickens for several years, fought the good fight with town council when we lived in town to have the by-law prohibiting chickens amended, to no avail. We finally moved to our forever farm home last summer, and got 12 laying hens which were already a year old. As my first chickens, it was a great experience to have them to get used to what taking care of them entailed, learning about their behaviour, trouble shooting a few situations such as mites that they came to me with, etc. I trained them to come when I called, which was a lot of fun, and the boys learned a lot about animal care, too. A couple of months ago, some neighbours picked up the older hens, which were past their laying prime, and we got our first chicks - 18 Easter Eggers.

My dream flock has always been a mixed flock of some different breeds, specifically ones that lay a variety of coloured eggs. In order to attain that, around here, anyway, you need to start with chicks. Unsexed chicks. Meaning that at least half of them will likely be roosters. We got 18 at the end of May, and now that they're around 10 weeks old, we're starting to see which ones are indeed roosters. My dream flock is about 25 mixed hens and two pleasant roosters. So far, out of those first 18, 11 are roosters. And it seems like it's overnight that their comb pops out, their tail feathers appear, and they start crowing. We have a farm not far from here that's wiling to take them, which is convenient. I'm not prepared to fatten them up to eat (I don't want to keep them for that long, and they're not likely to produce much in the way of meat, anyway) and I'm also not keen to just do away with them.

This past weekend, we got 32 more chicks, some of which had *just* hatched. They're so tiny! I chose a mix of Olive Eggers, Marans, Silver-Laced Wyandottes (oh, how I hope they're all hens!) and Barred Rocks. They're tiny and adorable and sweet, and I can't wait until they're big enough to go down to the coop. As much as I love chicks and think that they're adorable, they're kind of annoying to care for. They're messy and clumsy and crowded (well, not so much right now, but they will be in another week or two) and our current setup means that they're in the basement.

At this point, I'm feeling a bit impatient to have all of the roosters (except two) gone, and to know how many hens we have. And eggs! I can't wait for them to start laying. The first ones should begin around the end of September, and the other batch the beginning of December. It requires a bit of patience, this chicken business. But it's all worth it, especially when I can start posting beautiful egg pictures. Unless a fox or other animal kills them all, which is unfortunately a realistic fear. Or every single bird turns out to be a rooster. (I don't think that will happen - there are a few that I'm pretty confident are hens!) Really, I know that once I collect those first eggs, I'll forget all about the work of having chicks and it will all fade to a hazy memory.

I don't have many specific things planned for the next few days, which I am glad for; we've had lots of company and visitors, which is so lovely, but I also like a bit of quiet and time to putter around the house. I've squeezed in a bit of puttering over the past few days, making vanilla ice cream from this fantastic book, caramel sauce to go with it, and to round things out, batch after batch of these healthy cookies for the kiddos. Enjoy your weekend!

yarrow (achillea millefolium)

July 13, 2015 Sherrie Graham

Since I was a kid, I've been examining plants growing along roadsides and in ditches, pulling them apart, smelling them, making things with them, and sometimes tasting them, too. I grew up in a house just a few hundred metres from "the shore", a place where I spent much of my childhood roaming the beach, the wharves, and playing outside. I didn't know until a few years ago how many of them have uses! I'm fortunate enough to be living now just a few kilometres from there, so I'm finding many of the same plants on our property and having such a good time learning about them.

There are so many! The thick-scented yellow flowers growing in the gravel on the shoulder of the causeway is evening primrose, as it turns out, and we also have a large, sweet-scented patch down by the barns which is heavenly on a warm summer evening while closing in the chickens for the night. The juicy, wilty weeds with tiny orange flowers that grew by one of Dad's fishing buildings is jewelweed, an antidote to poison ivy. And the seed pods snap in the coolest way! There are also beach peas (lathyrus japonicus) which I spent hours deconstructing while lying on hot beach rocks. And wild strawberries, blueberries, and cranberries at the very edge of the fields meeting the beach. And rosa rugosa - wild beach roses. Everywhere you look there's something!

Yarrow always seemed kind of common, though, and I never gave it much thought. It has soft, feathery leaves, and shallow roots. It has a tough stem, and is pretty easy to pull up. It has a pleasant, herb-y scent and often grows in dry, gravelly soil, like roadsides. I was delighted to learn a few years ago that the stem, leaves, and flower can be used in a variety of ways; the simplest one which I've used it for in the past is in a tea. It can also be crushed up and applied topically to the skin. You can add it to salads, too, and chickens like it as well. Yarrow oil is also used in the Nature's Gate shampoo that I love. (They just changed the packaging - the old bottle had a prominent image of yarrow on it.) Here's a thorough post about the herb that you might find interesting.

If you have a ragweed allergy, this is not the herb for you! It may cause skin sensitivity in some people. Also, if you're pregnant or breastfeeding, it's best to avoid it. As always, do your research.

For choosing particular plants to harvest, I would avoid ones growing right alongside the road (exhaust fumes, dogs peeing, windshield washer fluid - no thanks!) and choose young-ish, healthy looking plants. Around here, the flowers are mostly white, with the occasional pink one here and there. A friend of mine had some gorgeous deep burgundy and bright yellow in her garden last year, and I think I've seen some in pale yellow growing wild, too.

Oh, I love this time of year. Some of my other wild plant plans for the summer include harvesting rose petals for rose water and rose petal jelly or syrup, rosehips for dehydrating and making teas to combat winter colds. I love these little home tasks that require my hands-on effort from start to finish. There's much to be said for the satisfaction that comes along with that.

We have been enjoying some hot and sunny summer days lately. Friends have been visiting, which makes summer feel like summer, and we have been enjoying homemade popsicles made with fruit juices, and s'mores by the fire. I've been harvesting kale and making my favourite breakfast most mornings, and collecting handfuls of slugs and snails to drown while I'm at it. Also, the chicks are so big now! They're gorgeous, and each has their unique colouring and feather patterns, which makes identifying them easy. More chicks are on their way before long!

Happy summer - I hope that you find a wild edible to enjoy.

woodsy

June 27, 2015 Sherrie Graham

Happy Summer! Oh, I'm so glad it's finally here. I still have a few work days until the break, but that summery feeling is seeping in, and the lightness and openness of days spent outside in the sun feels sooooo good! And lunches of cracker and cheese and pickles, watermelon slices, and popsicles. (I have plans for healthy, delicious popsicles this summer - Thomas thought that water popsicles sounded good.) On one of my walks in the woods last week, I was soaking in all of the beautiful June greens. Even the light was green. Any ideas what this plant is in the top photo? It looks edible, but the super shiny leaves made me pause before taking a taste. So I took a picture instead.

In a couple of months, these will be blueberries! We have a few patches of wild ones, and this specific spot was a new discovery for me. Hopefully I'll get to it before the birds do.

I'm looking forward to many more woodsy excursions with the boys over the summer. If you're not accustomed to it, but want to get out there, there are a few things to remember:

bug spray at this time of year (I make a spray using lemon eucalyptus essential oil; there's a good recipe guideline here)
sunblock
snacks and water
magnifying glass if you have one; we have two super cool magnifiers for the boys that work really well; this kids lighted one (only $9.00!) and one which holds water that I can't find a link to which is perfect for water bugs! It's sort of like this one, except there's a bottom compartment that can hold water
a camera is great for taking pictures of things for later identification
a ziploc baggie or two in case something needs a closer look in water

And don't forget to breathe deeply - there's nothing as sweet as the scent of the woods. Unless it's the scent of the ocean. Or lilacs. Or the bees. You know what I mean, though. Speaking of green and plants, this book specifically about the nature in Yarmouth County is just lovely. The boys have been enjoying the Bumper Book of Nature, (Phillip especially) and Thomas likes the Gruffalo Nature Trail book. We have a few basic nature guides including this one, too. Edited to add: Mud Puddles to Meteors is a great resource for all things kid & nature related. Definitely check it out!

There is plenty of fun to be had flipping through them before, during, and after a walk in the woods. Have fun!

in the house - mid-June edition, and our work

June 16, 2015 Sherrie Graham

I've probably mentioned before that I keep a set of pruners in the car. I am a teacher of students with visual impairments, and cover a large geographic area here in beautiful southwest Nova Scotia. It's a job that I love, since there's always something new to learn, new people to work with, and I get to drive through all kinds of beautiful places. (Follow my Instagram to see more - I sometimes post pictures of my travels.) For one of my drives, I get to take a ferry to beautiful Long Island! On that drive late last week, I spied a huge stand of lilacs in the ditch at the edge of what was probably a homestead many, many years ago - weeds and evergreens had grown up all around them, so I didn't think they would be missed. It took a bit of effort, but I clipped a few and brought them home, riding in style in my water bottle.

I don't usually post much about my work, but I've been asked about it by a few people lately, and it is what I spend a whole lot of time doing - so here's the scoop. I work with students from birth-21 who have been diagnosed with visual impairments. Many of them have additional disabilities, and there's a huge variation in how they see - no two students see the same way. We do preschool and home visits with the youngest ones, and work with school teams with school-aged kids to help them understand how their student sees and the adaptations they need. I teach braille, cane travel, adaptive technology, independent living skills, compensatory skills, and lots of other things, too. We also provide the technology that students need to access the curriculum - my job is essentially to help my students access what they miss because of their vision loss. I work within two school boards, in French and English. I'm a trained elementary teacher, with my master's degree in the education of students with visual impairment. No two days are the same, and that's one of the things that I love most about the job. It's also one of the challenges, as schedules change constantly. And since I'm the only one doing my job in my area, it can definitely be isolating and sometimes lonely. I have the very best colleagues - it's a fantastic group of teachers who work all over the Atlantic Provinces, and it's always so, so good when we get together for meetings. Just to have people who speak the same language, you know? And I'll be seeing many of my peeps who work here in NS this week! I'm looking forward to it.

While I'm on the topic of work, Adam is a wedding and portrait photographer, and his business is home-based. He does photography on location (no studio) and we've had more than one family here to have their pictures done. He does beautiful, beautiful work. When he's not out and about, he's in this office chair and editing pictures while Heidi (the cat) supervises. He's also the one who picks up the boys after school, packs their lunches, and generally keeps the ship afloat. And he takes care of countless other things, too. It's such a good setup for us - it just works. Heidi likes her job, too.