Integrity

I have a cousin (in-law) who is such a dewey-eyed dreamer.  He is passionate and an idealist, but in a way that lets you know this is who he really is...even if sometimes it is torturous to his psyche.  He does not pretend to know all the answers or even all the problems.  I respect him for his convictions.  I pray "the system" and the heart breaking beauty of the world do not strip him of his genuineness and innocence.

Perhaps this is why I went back into Borders today to let them know they did not charge me ENOUGH for my purchases. Of course, I was hoping the whole time, they would say "Wow.  Thank you for your honesty.  Why don't you just keep the magazine-on us." Nada.

Tis the season for doing what is right-365 days a year.

Thank you Luke for what you bring to the table.

Is This Biodynamic?

At the Urban Grange Hall we strive to be as organic and biodynamic as our level of knowledge and fortitude will allow.  Rudolf Steiner in his series of lectures about Agriculture advocated many things for the life of the farm as an organism.  The issue of healing is part of the whole of biodynamics. One way to promote healing within the farm is by "keeping our animals pastured in the open air, free to move and able to express their instincts" (Stella Natura, 2010, November ).

DO YOU THINK THIS IS WHAT STEINER HAD IN MIND?

                                                Maisie blowing bubbles for the chickens

Tis the Season

A Little Maine Insanity

Hello Friends and Family, 

Ok, as you may know, I have committed to jumping into the frigid waters of the Atlantic Ocean on December 31-again.  My father-in-law is planning on doing so as well, but I had to commit to putting my head all the way under.
 
I know. This is insane. What am I doing jumping into the near freezing waters of Maine ? Well, reducing carbon emissions, stopping our dependence on fossil fuels, and reinvigorating the American economy is important to me for the next generation, so I am joining in an effort to raise awareness about the reality of global warming and the benefits of fighting against it. 

I just read this morning that 2015 is the year by which some scientists estimate the Arctic Sea could be ice free in the summer (polar bears need sea ice to hunt). Polar Bears are my totem.
 
So, please join in and support my insanity. Last year, I raised the most money (as a non-employee), so "Thank you very much" for that. 
 
If you are inspired  to donate again this year you can go to: http://supporters.nrcm.org/polar_plunge
 
There will be plenty of documentation so that you may see your support in action. 
 
Loads of good wishes to you and your families for the holidays!

Thank you, 

Heather

"Every morning I awake torn between a desire to save the world and an inclination to savor it. This makes it hard to plan the day."   E.B.White

Something Akin to Joy

We went to Snug Harbor Farm this morning. We went in the shop and we strolled the grounds. There was a little wooden building on blocks.  The window was slightly ajar.  This is what the scene was inside.  It reminded me of the line in 2001: A Space Odyssey,  "My God.  It's full of stars."  But instead it was full of these frilly back pigeons. The light was softly filtered and the sun had warmed the interior. Simply wonderful!

Religious Freedom and Righteousness

BIG news! You will notice under the talk section in the sidebar an ordination certificate.  I have been contemplating this for a few months.  One of my oldest and dearest friends asked me to officiate at her wedding (planned for summer 2011) and after doing some poking around for ideas and such, I came upon this "ordination" from Universal Life Church. Although it is unlikely my friend's wedding will be legally recognized, especially in light of Maine's recent gubernatorial election, I can legally marry folks. Since my own marriage last year and in the rubble of the aftermath that was Vote No on 1, marriage is a VERY poignant topic and what better way to honor and reinforce the magnitude of such an undertaking?

Funerals, baptisms, ceremonial rites and last rites also fall under this (and now, my) jurisdiction.

The Universal Life Church has two basic tenets: To promote freedom of religion and to do that which is right. Anyone who knows me also knows I would be behind these premises ten-fold.

I in no way wish to undermine or minimize the education and professionalism of other clergy.  I take this very seriously and will act in accordance.

If you are in need of any of these services, please let me know.  I would love to help make these transitions and life events honorable, sacred, and unforgettable.

October teaches me ...again.

It's approaching three thirty a.m. and the backyard is illuminated by a nearly full moon hanging low and squat in the western night sky. I am waiting for the dog who has awakened me so that she can go out and relieve herself. This is happening with increasing frequency as her age and the effects of a newly diagnosed kidney disease make themselves more known.  Turning as I shut the door, a wisp of a memory brushes up against me-it is Maisie snug in bed between her mother and I. A pang of ...of what?  I'm not really sure what to call it.  Am I envious of my young daughter for whom the weight of the world does not yet labor her slumber?  Am I sensing the icy grasp of a grief long forgotten? The loss of my own worldly innocence,  a time when, I too, was nested in the loving embrace of those I held most dear to me in my little realm? It is said the veil between "here" and "there" is thinner this time of year...perhaps it is one of my ancestors paying a visit; reminding me to mind what I have and to let go that which I don't.

Perhaps this is the secret of staying (en)lightened- wings and a tutu?

Savor joy!

Birds Afield

The chickens have been having an evening stroll of late...moving toward more free range.

Bertha, Jane, and Hazel (Sadie hasn't ventured out yet)

Then I saw this bird out in the "pumpkin patch" at Wolfe's Neck Farm today.

Joy and the Art of Chicken Coop Maintenance

There is an architect in Blue Hill, Maine who has a series of books about little houses.  I have always been fascinated by them.  Today while I was "winterizing" the hen house, I was thinking about the joy I get from this.  I have  been thinking a great deal about enjoyment and which activities generate and perpetuate it lately.  I met with a career consultant last week-did not go well as I couldn't justify $6000+ to meet with a man who argued with me about my spiritual beliefs and never really asked me what I had been doing or thought I enjoyed.  I also recently heard a second talk on TED by Sir Ken Robinson about finding your passion.  Any way, I am trying to remain open to the process  and think outside the box or apparently inside the coop! Any and all insights and suggestions are welcomed.

Farming Fashion

These shoulder days between seasons are complicated when it comes to dressing. Too many layers?  Not enough layers? Rain gear? Sunny day clothes?  Work hard enough you still sweat like crazy, so then you need the right wicking /barrier combination.  ARGH!  What's a farm girl to do?  (Apparently, my approach is "don't give a damn". )  Don't hate cause I'm beautiful.

The Fruits of Their Labors

The girls eggs have been laying four eggs pretty consistently and the eggs are getting bigger. They are also eating a lot more...scraps and pellets.  We are feeding them an all organic diet and I put a little vinegar in their water a couple times a week to help as a digestive.  They especially relish the greens from the carrots and bean vines.  They like a juicy ripe tomatoe as well.  They also get lettuce, kale, apples...really anything but onions or garlic (the eggs would pick up the flavor-wouldn't be bad if you were making a quiche I suppose).

Put it up!

Last Saturday, we got a remedial lesson on hot water bath canning.  It is something I have always been interested in, but never did.  Mostly, because like Ralphie in A Christmas Story ("you'll shoot your eye out"), I was thwarted by my mother's undeterred fears of succumbing to a painful and undignified death from botulism  or being impaled, maimed and otherwise disfigured by shrapnel spewed by an exploding pressure cooker. Food borne illnesses be damned!  We will have apple sauce this winter!

Common Ground

This weekend is MOFGA's Common Ground Fair.  The weather was cool and overcast, the crowds manageable and sights, smells, and sounds inspiring.

Goings On at the Homestead

There is something about Fall that gets my domestic juices flowing.  I know the official start isn't until Wednesday, but there has definitely been a change in the air, the light, the smells..

I have been busy painting the coop, creating an opening in the pen, gleaning the garden and replanting lettuce and spinach-I am going to try to grow under mini hoops as long as I can into the winter-we also froze several bags of carrots,  the rest I am going to keep in the ground till frost to sweeten them.  We've been getting three to four eggs a day:  brown,  brown speckled, white and blue-green. Apples are rosy-checked and ruddy complected.  It is a fine time of the year.

Cameos by Sadie and Bertha.

Who Says Folks Don't Dress for Travel Anymore?

Style.  Style is different than fashion.  Fashions come and go, but style is a constant.  Cary Grant had it.  Jackie O, Katherine Hepburn, Audrey Hepburn, Sean Connery... Part of the appeal of Mad Men on AMC is the clothes and the manner in which the characters deport themselves.  People sometimes lament the lost golden era of dressing for dinner or for a plane trip.  Those lost bits of civilization leave us nostaligic for something we may never had had to begin with.

Some people have the style kevorka and know how to employ it-even in this day and age and even when simply going to the Miss Portland Dinner for an impromptu Labor Day breakfast with family.

And it obviously make them very happy!

Crop Update

We had a bumper crop of taters this year.  From three plants that started out robust, but then fell to the scorching heat, we got nearly three dozen spuds!

Food- Related Activity at the Urban Grange Hall this Weekend

Here is a mega tomato we grew from B. Potter's plants acquired in the Community School's organic sale earlier this summer.  They are heirloom so they look a little rough, but we are roasting them to freeze to add to sauce and stews this winter.

Roasting tomatoes at low temp. with olive oil and salt.

We are consistently getting three eggs a day from our four hens. Notice the egg on the left-it is standing on end. Tricky!

More Random Thoughts

Song lyrics that make me weepy... don't really understand why-just is

"Katie looks at Tommy like I still look at you..." from She's in Love with the Boy, Trisha Yearwood

"I don't have to tell you, but you're the only one."  from You Make Lovin' Fun by Fleetwood Mac

"And this is how I see you/ in the snow on Christmas morning/ love and happiness surround you
(As you throw your arms up to the sky/I keep this moment by and by) from Wintersong by Sarah McLachlan

Girl, You're a Woman Now

Bertha

Bertha's egg

The fruits of her labors

Some Random Thoughts

1. It is not original to yell "Fore" or lay on your car horn when driving by a golf course.  Trust me on this as I am a home owner living across the street from a municipal course and am almost directly across from the 9th hole.

2. I wonder how much money would be saved if all the treadmills, rowing machines and bikes in a gym where rigged to produce electricity?  Could it power the facility?

To be Continued...

Reunited and it feels so good...

I have been an ardent kayaking angler for close to 20 years.  Last summer, due to a nagging shoulder injury (I don't recommend having a child once you are 45 plus unless you are in VERY good shape) and the unusual Maine monsoon season that lasted all summer, I was unable to put my boat on my car let alone paddle.  Well, thanks to a a very expensive trainer who hit on the magic regime for my shoulder I am able to return to the water. This makes me very happy.

North Conway, NH

This car was parked in front of the Mount Washington Weather Observatory offices in town.  I have been to the top of Mt. Washington by car in July when it has been quite "brisk" at the top.  I also climbed Jefferson in the Presidentials  in July when we passed some others hikers  coming down who had been turned back by "snow" as they approached the summit ( it was more a slick mix of fog and freeze).

We were there to ride this:

 

When we got back in the car at 12:50 p.m. it was 97 degrees outside. So we went back to Stanley Pond, but not before running into these folks in Cornish:

Sarah, Luke and Brady Potter

We have a rule if you are near the water you need to wear your life jacket.  Maisie is good at following the rules and near the water is a relative term.

Hope you all had a pleasant weekend!

Lettuce Bolt and RIP (Rest in Peas) or How My Summer Vacation Nearly Killed My Vegetable Garden

O.K., so it wasn't quite this bad, but...

We were gone for 5 days during July during a spat of very high temperatures, humidity and abundant sunshine. Did this rocket scientist, backyard farmer even think once about asking someone to water the garden? Nope.  Never even entered my mind-despite the fact that I had been watering nightly on regular basis since April.  Needless to say, we now have more room to replant some fall crops as the lettuce all bolted and the peas shriveled up and died. At least the chickens are enjoying the gleanings.  My apologies to the garden nymphs.  I will make efforts to redeem myself.

A Little Refreshment on a Hot Summer Day

July 4th from the Adirondacks

I grew up in Mayfield, NY which is "the gateway to the Adirondacks".  It is truly a breathtakingly beautiful area and after being away at my other "home" of Maine and then returning to the mountains and lakes of my youth, there really are some subtle differences.  Things like the light (further west), the heat (landlocked), flora (baby pine cones) and fauna (newts in the ponds and smaller lakes) and of course my people.  The woods and the creeks hold the spirits of my relatives who have all gone before...it is strangely lonely, yet at every turn I catch a glimpse of life past. Part of the pleasure of this trip is to introduce my daughter to these family ghosts and connect the energies of the generations.

Maisie and Betsy outside of Pulka Tupa (Reindeer sleigh cabin)

Bonfire- brought to an art form by my cousin Jay

Sunset over mountains and across the lake

July 4 Bonfire and Firework