Christmas Traditions

As Christmas approaches, I have been thinking about traditions our family has created and carried on. There aren't many, it seems, and yet--there are.

We have a tree. I didn't really feel like putting it up, but was out-voted. It's up, colorful, and mood-lifting on these dark days here. We have gifts. I have been focusing on a less materialistic attitude, and yet want to commemorate the season with some things.

I find the music of the season really enjoyable, so have attended a number of musical events. Fortunately we still have children in school bands and such. And I must say, a college concert is fantastic! We enjoyed a sign-language Christmas concert last night in our local school district. It's also a real treat to listen to my favorite Pandora holiday stations along with the music I have collected through the years.

Putting some energy into giving to others outside our family is something we work at, too. This has been more of a quiet activity within the family as children have grown up and started their adult lives.

In the past we have made special treats, decorated gingerbread houses and cookies, and done other sweet activities together. But as things have changed, so has the emphasis of our celebrating. I really appreciate this time of year, and the light and good cheer and attitude of goodwill and hope this season seems to perpetuate.

People are nicer! If I stay out of the terribly congested parking lots of the mega-shopping-centers, strangers just seem kinder and more light-hearted.

What about you? What are your favorite traditions of the season?

My Mall Experience

I don't go to the mall very often. Why, you ask? Well, I don't usually buy much, or at least not there. But this past Friday a young friend and I wanted to spend some time together, and she felt like getting a little Christmas shopping done, so off we went.

Thanks Silverdale Chamber of Commerce for the photo.

Luckily my friend, whom I will call Karen, knew just the things she wanted, and in which store they were. We parked, went straight to the proper section, and Karen searched for her prospective gifts. I helped her with sizes, colors and styles for a while, but she seemed to have everything under control. So I stood around for a few minutes. I noticed some shirts that were a good price, gorgeous colors this year, and nice and long, like I prefer. Suddenly I believed I "could use" a few shirts like these. I held back, though.

Selections in hand, Karen and I went and looked through the mundane, useful item I thought I would get for a loved one for Christmas. It was a little more expensive than I would usually prefer, but the quality and quantity and country of origin were acceptable. We made our purchases and decided what to do next.

We had passed some purses that were really cute, so we looked at them for a while, killing time before leaving the mall to go to dinner. The more I looked at a particular style of bag, the more I wanted one. (These specific ones were nearly $100, not something I would ever seriously consider.) The shape was really pleasing, and the colors were so appealing; so many to choose from! Oh, well, off to dinner.

I haven't stopped thinking about those bags, not because I am going to buy one, but because I liked them so much. I won't feel very good about myself if I get one, but the fact that their style and color and presentation in the store were so very attractive is something I am giving a lot of attention.

I suppose the moral of the story is that I know material things don't make me happy. And that marketers and other people who want to get some of our money work from the perspective that material things (that they are carrying in their retail centers) will make us happy until we come to the mall next time.

So--why was I so enthralled with the purses, anyway? I believe it's because my current one isn't really meeting my needs. I have some choices here: 1. Find one in my closet that will work (I have a few in there); 2. Get one second-hand (totally in my value system if I really NEED it); 3. Make one.

Are you an impulse shopper, or a self-medicating-shopper? Where is your favorite place to shop? Do you have strategies to avoid getting too many things?

Stay tuned while I stay out of the mall.

And Happy Holidays!

Summer Winding Down

The evenings and night time have a bit of a bite these days, and there's a woodsmoke flavor in the air. Autumn is coming, and, as always, change is in the air. There has been a lot going on in our corner of the world, and here's some of it.

Allan has started work this week as an employee of the US Government at Keyport, Washington, just 8 minutes away. There are mixed feelings, but mostly relief on my end. We have learned some valuable lessons in the past 6 months of Allan's unemployment, and some important home chores have happened during that time, like an overhauled garage and exterior house painting.

Another blessing has been the birth of a new grandchild, Clayton Seeley Edmondson last week. He is healthy and seems happy to be in his lively family.

The garden has been growing well. I did a few experiments this year, like growing potatoes in plastic garbage cans (not a huge success, but we have lots of new potatoes) and growing squash and tomatoes in old tires (tomatoes relatively fruitful, squash, not so much). I have a number of spaghetti squash that need to ripen up, and more tomatoes to harvest. Also, I'll be planting lettuce and other greens today or tomorrow to get a jump on spring. There has been a paltry 18 lb of food harvested, but when I realize that much of that was salad greens, which take SO MUCH to make a pound, I am not as disappointed.

Other efforts in sustainable living are waxing and waning all the time. I am getting ready to set some new goals to have less impact on the earth, like sticking with reusable bags when shopping (if I shop at all!) and bring containers for leftovers in restaurants. Those things I can do 100%, unlike some of the other things that rely on family participation/buy-in that doesn't always happen when young adult children are living at home.

Our 6 laying hens (a slight misnomer) are doing fine in our backyard's expanded chicken coop. Only 2 are laying regularly, and they are the 2 I got in 2008. The new-to-me ones are not laying, but hopefully will be before I get frustrated and put them in the pot. Which I probably never would, unless I had to.

That's it for now, I will be adding photos soon.

Restaurant Review: Bremerton Bar and Grill

I am branching out in the blog-o-sphere and describing my experience in local eateries. 

Tonight we enjoyed dinner at Bremerton Bar and Grill. It's over across from the Bremerton Ferry and Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (PSNS). We were seated right away on the patio, which was mildly impressive on a Saturday night. Or suspicious. We chose a shady spot as far away from the hubbub of the restaurant as we could. 

The weather was lovely and it was pretty perfect, except for the speaker right next to our table blaring out songs of the '80s. Yuck. A server brought water and took our drink orders as we perused the menu. 

The place was a little pricey. I wasn't incredibly hungry and didn't see anything that grabbed me particularly, so ordered the Hummus Plate Appetizer for around $10. Allan opted for the fish and chips at $13.99. 

Our $4.00 (non-alcoholic) drinks came. Allan's was about 95% ice. Mine was tiny, but good. I continually added water to it and it was tasty for a long time. Unfortunately our waitress never refilled our water glasses (even after we asked). 

Eventually our food came, and it was well-presented and average. Allan requested another tartar sauce as soon as he saw how little there was, and it came after he had finished his dinner. He had run out of ketchup, too. 

The scenery was pretty and the weather cooperated. The food, though somewhat overpriced, was acceptable. The service and noisy atmosphere, however, left something to be desired. I would rather go somewhere with better service and excellent food, or a take-out place that I know I enjoy and eat at the park for the alfresco experience. 

Laying Hen Update: Tragedy in the Flock

One of the ways to provide our family with healthy food and practice self-sufficiency is to raise laying hens in our back yard. My homemade chicken coop/yard has worked out pretty well and it's been a journey of learning, work, and happy eating since we have been urban homesteaders.

In June the "flock" of hens that I acquired in 2008 was reduced by 1 to 2 . While I was on my trip to Atlantic City Anne, my favorite layer, died of unknown causes in the little chicken yard. (She used to eat out of my HAND!) Cecilie actually witnessed the death, which was traumatizing for her. 

So the question has been, what to do now? Two hens isn't really enough to provide enough eggs for our family, and it's irritating to have to BUY EGGS. Or beg them from my friends. Actually, 3 hens really wasn't even enough to supply us with eggs. (The number of family members living here keeps contracting and expanding. Mostly expanding.)

Cecilie suggested expanding the yard into the unused area under our deck. She and I spent an afternoon creating a new area and are ready to add a few more to our flock. 

Now to find them....


Addendum: I will be acquiring 3 or 4 more hens this very evening in Silverdale after the Ward Picnic. Boy will I have work to do today to get ready!!

Home-Grown Herbal Tea and Reusable Cloth Tea Bags

In May I had the pleasure of harvesting some of my herbs for teas. Chamomile and Sweet Mint were the biggest hauls, with Rosemary close on their heels. They were dried in my new (to me) food dehydrator in just a couple of hours, and gave the house a wonderful fragrance. Here are the loose dried herbs in their jars waiting to be made into something. The jars were completely filled when I finished drying. 

Volunteer mint bed ready for another harvest

My biggest dilemma has been how to prepare the teas. Loose herbs in a pot? Kind of messy and difficult to clean. In a metal tea-ball? Either too big for the pot or too small for a pot. Disposable tea bags? Those are great for gifts, but I hate the waste. I came across a site with instructions for reusable cloth tea bags http://lillyella.blogspot.com/2009/05/crafting-reusable-tea-bags_19.html. 

I have made a few and they work out just great. Since it's summer, I make a quart of tea at a time and pour some over ice. It's a refreshing beverage and an alternative to water, sugary non-foods, and diet-drink chemicals. 


How is your summer harvest? What are you doing for yourself this summer? 

Plant Marker Art

A few weeks ago another Master Gardener suggested I put some larger markers in the herb beds in our local teaching garden. Well, the markers she had in mind look good in her formal rose bed, but are a little too formal for the beds where I work. Boring. To me, anyway. So I went online and searched out some free-ish, more interesting (to me) options, preferably that could be made at home.

My daughter Cecilie and I made these.(All the super-cute ones Cec made. Mine are pretty basic.)
What do you think? We are having a great time making them and sharing with the community garden and decorating our own yard, too.












Here are the steps to making Plant Markers.

Materials: Rocks, acrylic paint/craft paint in a variety of colors, paint pen (opt), paint brushes, spray urethane (clear spray paint).

1. Collect rocks. Our rule has been: If someone paid for the rocks for drainage or landscaping, we may not use them (no matter how awesome they would be). We find ours at the beach, in ditches, along the side of the road, wherever.
2. Make sure the rocks are reasonably clean. I soak them briefly in a bucket, then rinse and air dry. Sometimes they have needed a bit of scrubbing.
3. On a table covered with newspaper, paint background color, if desired. (Some rocks are beautiful as background.) Let dry.
4. Using paint pen or brush with acrylic paint, paint the name of your plant. Let dry.
5. Spray with clear spray coating; let dry. Place near chosen plant!!

Do Chickens Eat Spaghettios?

Here are the spaghettios after the hens had retreated for a break.

I happened upon a can of Spaghettios in our storage, which I didn't buy. No one was going to eat it, because it's, well, hardly food. I thought I would try it out on my chooks.

Indeed, they did eat, albeit sporadically. 

I put the dish out in their yard, and they started gobbling. Then they stopped. One girl kept wiping off her beak on the straw, somewhat distressed. Or it seemed so to me. But they came back and came back. When I went out later it was all gone. So, yes, I believe chickens DO eat spaghettios. I don't think it was a huge hit, and I don't believe I will make a habit of feeding it to them. But in case you wanted to know, now you do.

Handling Growing Older with Grace

         Lorraine, Age 51

I took my teenage son to breakfast recently. Never one to shy away from an opportunity to tell his mother the truth about herself, he commented on the horrible bags under my eyes. Upon checking in the wall/mirror there next to me at the restaurant, I noted that, indeed, he spoke the truth. Ouch! And, of course, the crowning blow: The Senior Discount. At the register I checked the check, calculated the tip, and when I received the final receipt noticed that the total (before tip) was lower than the original check. "No, I don't actually qualify for any discounts." The hostess laughed. "Well, you're saving a dollar today!"

I choose to keep my life simple by staying with my current natural hair color, and using minimal cosmetics. What do you think? And when does one become a "Senior?"

My One Weakness

Bleeding Heart

Sweet Woodruff

I am enjoying my garden, the community garden where I volunteer, and PLANT SALES! I put the Central Valley Plant Sale on my calendar, and it worked out that I was able to attend, albeit briefly. Which was a good thing, since I got there 20 minutes after it opened and the inventory was quite diminished..

Candy Tuft

Red Tulip

I spent $8.50 and came out with catmint, pineapple mint, 2 scented geraniums (gerania?), and a native plant called fringe cup to replace the one that I killed last year. It was a short, delightful, rather cheap activity that will hopefully give me much joy in the future.

Bluebell

Yellow Tulip

Borage

Calendula

Johnny Jump Up

Strawberry

Grape Hyacinth

Here are some plants from my garden that are doing well and giving me hope for the future of my little plot here in the space we live between East Bremerton and Silverdale, WA.

Infant Gift-Giving on a Budget

I am being invited to many baby showers right now, for some reason. Many of my young friends are multiplying!! I love these parties, but it can be expensive and sometimes limited if you simply look through the register (if there is one) and get something on the list. I have loved receiving hand-made gifts, and give those whenever I can. Right now, with our gift-giving allocation in the budget at about zero, it's a great time to brush up on my hand-making skills and make the shower gifts for friends' babies.

A young mom told me how much she liked some hand-knit washcloths I had given her in the past, which made me feel like my little bit of trouble was appreciated and the gift was actually useful. In the past couple months I have made some flannel blankets with crochet edging [modified from http://sewchic.blogspot.com/2007/07/crocheted-edge-blanket-tutorial.html ] . Pretty easy and fun, and I thought very cute, too. (A great friend of mine made these many years ago, and I was thoroughly disappointed not to get one when I had my last baby!) Also in my repertoire have been burp cloths, of which Mom can never have enough. Not really a keepsake novelty, but practical and (possibly) cute nonetheless. Bibs are another reliable standby. Even sweet toys are beginning to pop up on my radar.

What do you enjoy giving as baby gifts? What is the favorite gift you received when your babies were born?  

Light Reading

I haven't been reading much in the past few months, but it seems as if the library requests I have made have all come in at once. A story on NPR caught my interest a few months ago about Bringing Up Bebe (add accent marks) and it finally came in--just as I have found some time to settle down and read. 

Though I'm only about a third of the way through it, I am finding this great reading. One reason is that it's in an easy conversational style. Another is that I agree with the French ideal of parenting. Why should having kids ruin your life and the experience of all people around you?? 

The book starts with limits around getting the baby to sleep through the night, teaching young children the concept of waiting, and treating infants like "tiny little humans" capable of learning. 

One thing it points out is that French aren't interested in comparing and competing like Americans. I remember sitting with some young mothers soon after my first baby was born and listening to them compare percentile rankings of their babies, as if these rankings were important. So what if your kid is so fat he's in the top percentile for weight? He won't be able to roll over until he's 3 years old! 

I'm surprised that this book is even interesting, because I am well through the times of raising and training children. But it is an interesting look at the way people in our culture view parenting and children on an anthropological level. 

I am past halfway through Jane Austen Made Me Do It, a collection of short stories inspired by Austen's writings. Every story is really different: some are extensions of the familiar stories, some are twists or turns from the stories, some are ghost stories set in modern times, etc. I am not that fond of Jane Austen's tales, nor am I generally into short stories, but these have been rather fun. I actually ordered a copy for someone's birthday later this year.

The House at Sugar Beach is less light, and I'm not exactly reading it. I am listening to it in the car. It is the autobiographical work of Helene Cooper, who grew up in Liberia. I never knew freed slaves from the United States had the opportunity to settle in Liberia in the 1820s and beyond, but they did. This woman grew up wealth and status in that country in the 1960s and '70s as a descendant of the freed slaves, only to have to move to the U.S. as a result of violence and extreme political unrest in Liberia. Her story is moving and enlightening. 

Are you reading anything interesting? 

Clare's Baby Shower

Last week I took the long ride down to Ventura County, CA and attended my youngest sister's baby shower. Here are some highlights of the actual shower.

 Mom-to-be Clare and my sister Meredith.

 Clare and Meredith's daugher, Erin, with the adorable bibs Erin made.

 Clare with mom, sisters, and nieces, sort of. We missed Helene!

 Most who attended. Thank you so much Charmaigne Hanna-Baker for taking all the photos!

 Second cousins Kyson and Daisy. 

 Meredith and her beautiful daughters Stacy and Erin.

 My dad's sister Dorothy and my mother Sharon.

 The hostesses: Kelly, Corinne, Cindy, and Rachel.

 Rhiannon and Kyson.

 Clare and Rachel.

Amelia, Daisy, Stacy, and Erika.

Joblessness and Home Economy

Well, something new and hopefully exciting (the good way) is coming along for us. Allan was laid off on Friday and a new chapter in our life has begun. 

The Bremerton office of his company has been steadily shrinking, and the work he has been doing has been going to other workers in other offices around the country. Ah, well, the end of an 18+-year era. 

What does this mean for the immediate quality of life of our family? We have money to meet our basic needs/bills. Very basic! We have some food stored for events like this. I have skills to use this basic food (prepare it, make it palatable!). I am thinking I will make all our bread from now on, which will make some people around here really happy. 


There are other areas where I can work harder on economizing, too. I can stop my random thrift store shopping, and remember how to tease apart needs from wants. I can be more dedicated in my menu/meal planning, even just for myself. The phone and cell phone bills could be looked into and possibly changed for the better. The cupboards are full of materials that I can turn to in moments of creative necessity. 

What kind of changes will be a result of this bout of unemployment? No more allowance for me, that's for sure!!


Where do you find yourself in this economic climate? Have you needed to economize? What are your tactics for saving money or doing without? 

Traditional Foods

Have you ever heard of this book? It's all about presenting the truth about "research" around healthy eating and teaching us how to eat real food. It's touted as a cookbook (there are tons of recipes), but it's really full of information, stories, ideas, and instruction on how to eat well. And what exactly is eating well? 


Let's just put it this way: I am buying raw milk at about $5 per half gallon. (I think I may be the only one in my family drinking it, but that will change with time.) I have not been a big milk-drinker in the last couple decades, but this milk is delicious!


I have followed a few of the recipes in Nourishing Traditions to make my own dairy products. The first thing I made was yogurt. I am not a big consumer of yogurt, but it's easy

to make and was VERY delicious. I added strawberries and a little stevia powder. Later I tried buttermilk, which I don't really drink straight (though I bet I will--it's so good!), but use mainly as an ingredient in baked goods and dressings. In looking through and old Danish cookbook from the '40s I found a recipe for buttermilk soup. It was actually delightful. And just the other day I made my own creme fraiche (pronounced "crem fresh"), which I use in place of sour cream. Heavenly!


A by-product of some of the dairy products is whey, which can be used to acidify grain and vegetables for preparation and/or preservation. I am looking forward to more experiments with this type of eating and preparing my own food. 


Do you have anything new you're trying in the kitchen?

Stretching and Growing

A friend I rarely see came to a party I attended at the beginning of the year. As she was explaining her progress in school, she asked for help with a college statistics class. She described how she needed this class in order to go forward toward a BS in Business. Although I cringe whenever I hear a statistical term, I offered to tutor her if she really wouldn't pass the class without help. 


So, for most of the month of January, I coached my friend as she "mastered" the chapters in her statistics class together. What a trip down memory lane! She is completing her schooling through a reputable online university, and much of the learning requires extensive self-teaching. 


Have you known anyone who is afraid of math? I find this happens often with women. Leslie is one of those women who is intelligent and capable, but is really frightened about math. 


I feel very lucky about the education I have been able to receive, even from the youngest age. We were going over a problem and I was remembering seeing the concept of a number line for the first time in school (New Math) when I was in first grade. My friend has no such memory. 


Do you have a phobia about math, or know someone who does? How does it affect you?