"sunny side up mama"

fyi - central coast: four elements farm party

Hey, hey friends!  It's spring planting time.  Time to party and celebrate the sunshine, longer days, sprouting of roots and shoots, gardens, farms, friends and family!  We had so much fun last year at Four Elements Farm Party and Plant Sale I just had to give you a little heads up that it is happening again this Saturday, the 27th of April.  For more information see their event page here, or read on to hear my musings post-party last year!

A week has already zipped by since we spent a sunny afternoon at Four Elements Farm Plant Sale and Farm Party, but I tell ya we are all still talking about the fun that was had.  I am such a farm dreamer, and schemer. I've been this way since childhood. Given that I don't currently live on a farm, I feel especially thankful to our local farmers who so generously share their work, and homes, with us in various ways.  Almost all year we enjoy u-pick fruits, local farm stands, farmers markets, gleaning opportunities, and to add this Farm Party to the mix is nothing short of fantastic, if you ask me.

There was a good social buzz about the event prior, and a great turn out the day of.  I am crazy about getting our community involved locally, and even more crazy about connecting our children to their food. So to see so many friends and neighbors mingling, sharing great ideas, collectively keeping an eye on the children, and soaking in the goodness of our local area, was heart warming.

In preparation for launching the large garden project, (now well underway)  Wishing Well Waldorf School, I am enjoying the fun of creating future experiences for the students, such as growing Quinoa to mill and bake with.  Four Elements has several varieties, which I am still looking forward to learing more about.

The learning opportunities were plentiful with fun workshops ranging from Kids Worm Discovery (something we are always up to here at home), Biodiesel, Medicinal Weeds, Yoga for the Kids and adults, Crafts for the children.....and the list goes on.  Inspiring.  Food for thought. 

and yummy eats, too.

And now....will you join us for The 3rd Annual Plant Sale and Farm Party this coming Saturday?!  I hope so.  Can't wait!  For more information check out their even page here.

swarming...

Tea in hand, camera at the ready, kiddos dressed in playsilks (like "ninjas") we headed a few blocks down the road to see if we could lend a hand in operation Swarm Come Home.  In the end my dear friend, Kim, had it all under control.  I think I ran to the house to grab a thing or two for her, and clipped a branch, and probably said an encouraging-type thing or two from behind my camera lense.  So really, I didn't "help" at all.  I did, however, have a great time capturing the fun in pictures. 

I can tell you that there will be bees in our near future.  My Grandfather's love of bees lives on in my heart.  I recall with the fondest of memories, standing in his garage with honeycomb in hand, slurping the sweetness up, just as fast as I could, while the rest ran down my arm.  And, Gavin, well he's been asking to keep bees for over two years now.  So I really must make haste!

It is an exhilarating experience to be up close with that many bees; their behavior aw inspiring, their buzzing dizzying, their gentleness comforting and surprising.  Their desire to swarm, in search of a new home, nothing short of the perfect spring experience, all alive with fresh energy, and the promise of a new season full of beautiful blossoms, and sweet honey ahead.

So without further adieu, I bring you a snippet of my Sunday morning entertainment.

(note: I am behind the camera for all of these shots, these images are of Kim and her husband Rob- thanks for including us in the fun guys!)

(more information about swarming bee behavior here)

coyote calling

On a recent hike, we paused along the trail to enjoy a small picnic.  Oden, our dog, suddenly spun around, alerted, and startled awake, from his resting.  Just behind us was a coyote, who, by the time I turned to look, was already silently trotting off.  The boys and I were quieted, and elated at the same time, by our close encounter.  It seemed to communicate more, simply in it's happening, than our words could make sense of.  After watching him in wonder, until well out of sight, we attempted to return to our snacking.  Each taking unspoken turns to check our back, and see if the wiley character had returned.  Before long, another coyote was spotted, down the hill and across the field.  It, too, stopped and gazed up at us, at which point turned and came up the hill, crossed our path not far from us, zipped under the fence, and trotted up the hill to join the other.



We all felt some stirring in ourselves, chatted about it as we continued, but quietly the experience stayed with each of us in a different way. I have seen plenty of coyotes.  Once in a rainstorm I was accompanied, for quite a distance, on a solo trail run - which gave me quiet a start when I first became aware of my company.  But, something about being crept up on, spied on from behind. Then having the opportunity to watch, the trickster himself, from such a distance, and for so long.  Something about this particular visit called for me to come out and play. 




It's spring after all.  There is a laughing, giggling, trickster quality wafting about the air we breath.  Even the soil we work is full of surprises, what with new seeds emerging each day, blossoms blooming.  It all makes me smile a bit more impishly.  If I do declare, Coyote was the harbinger of spring!

Happy first day of spring!  May the energy of the season call you out to play, invigorate your very body with the energy for deep roots and new bright shoots. It's spring!

tree tromp

She sits patiently in the living room.  Waiting for lights, ornaments, pine-cones, ribbons, popcorn strings, and of course, dog and children curled up under her bows for holiday stories.  But, for now, until another handful of moments appear - she is a lovely reminder of her more wild home, and the day we tromped about in search of just the right tree.

Care to join me on our tree tromp?

Thanks for joining me!

(Update - she is looking quite bedecked after a late night of dawning the lights, and an early morning of eager young decorating hands - writing this post was the needed kick in the pants!)

stinkin' good life

As this weekend comes to a close I am reminded of how it began.  Saturday morning, the sun streaming in the kitchen window, kids busy with craft projects, Travis in the ocean surfing, me cooking.  There is something to this idea of home-cooked food, "slow-food" if you will, and a busy schedule.  It manifests in a chunk of hours cooking, all the meals and snacks of the day, at one time, before dressing or brushing teeth!  As I was wooping up a heck of a mess, three meals, and midnight-muffin-snacks for 34, my mind drifted off on a tour, and the words "IT'S A STINKIN' GOOD LIFE" blasted inside my brain!  And the weekend had not even begun.

The weekend was full, from snow outside (silly Californians - we import it for a day of fun!).  Snow inside (glitter in a jar - Chaz's creation); bits of decorating.  A fantastic first of a four-part Seed Saving Class (if you are local check it out here). Our traditional trip to the tree farm.  And thanks to dear friends, a real treat, sailing in the Morro Bay Lighted Boat Parade! 

Everywhere we went, all weekend, we were surrounded by good friends and neighbors.  It's all a tired blur at this point (a bit like these photos), but it is indeed a stinkin' good life! 

And, just a quick few hours from now I celebrate my thirty-sixth trip around the sun!

grow!

He said: "I have to ask you to do one thing - stop growing crops.  Start growing soil.  Once you are growing soil I have to ask you to stop growing soil.  Start growing people, that is to say, people who know how to grow soil.  Now, I have to ask you to stop growing people, and start growing mini-ecosystems.  In growing mini-ecosystems you must grow: crops, soil, people and mini-ecosystems."

With that I heard a big ol' vuuuup! in my mind as all the loose ends were tied up, the dots connected, my efforts summed!  These words were spoken by John Jeavons author of How to Grow More Vegetables, founder of Ecology Action and mind behind GROW BOINTENSIVE Mini-Farming (just to mention a tiny bit of his contributions) not to mention a mountain of inspiration, husband to a lovely and inspiring woman, and father to an equally delightful daughter.

Some years ago I attended a presentation given by John.  The presentation highlighted the work of Ecology Action and BIOINTENSIVE Mini-Farming techniques, the wonderful work that was, and is, taking place around the globe using these methods of growing soil, and feeding the people of our world.  At that time I was nearing the end of a five year program studying Landscape Architecture and Land Rehabilitation.  It was a time of looking deeply at what I really valued most. What I wanted to focus on, and carry forth beyond the walls of the design lab, where I often stayed days upon end - without sleeping!  John's lecture also coincided with my course work in Holistic Management. A method of managing not only land, but ranches, farms, business and family from a holistic viewpoint; with a focus on healthy soil, healthy earth, healthy people- for a sustainable future.  

My focus turned, or just focused.  I felt that all my life I could work with this information, this value set informing my design process, but in the end it would have been of little noticeable contribution.  I become convinced that for me, and my work, it was of paramount significance that I turn to the children of our earth.  I deviated dramatically at that point from the design work of my classmates and began an intense final year designing and teaching an environmental education curriculum "Inspiring Wonder on the Road to the Future".  Since that time I have become a mother, life has changed in so many ways, but what has not changed is a love of our earth, and a drive to grow our way towards a healthier future. 

A month ago now, I took one step further down the path of realising my dreams and attended a three day workshop at Ecology Action to study the GROW BIOINTENSIVE methods.  It was a jam-packed time, chalk full of great information.  It is my dream (or one of them) to inspire the children to love, and tend this earth, for their health and security, but also the health of our home.

Today, I have the honor of developing our school's garden.  In this growing, outdoor classroom I garden with our earth's most precious resource - our children,  and look towards a day that I can say I am successfully growing mini-ecosystems!

All of that said, join me for a  tour of this eye-candy-filled, few days of mine!  Will you?

{well loved, much coveted (by me) tools (available here), hanging in the barn}

{learning to double-dig, correctly!}

{I am so proud of our new seeding flats at school, but holy smokes look at this collection!}

{almost all crops are started in these flats first before being transplanted to the beds}

{ I have since childhood visited barns of all sorts with an eye for "how could I live in this space?" I love them so!}

{my future bedroom view, I mean the hayloft}

{garlic hanging in the barn}

{fantastic drawers with seed names written on each - beats my little filing system}

{threshing and winnowing grains}

{screens for separating the chaff from the grain}

{the drying of a bountiful harvest }

The workshop was held in Willits California at the Golden Rule Community Center and Garden with field trips to the Ecology Action Mini-Farm.

Dreams do, indeed, come true!

What are you dreaming? 

blueberry dreams

Now so fully in the season of Autumn, with rain, scarecrows, crisp air, evenings low golden-light, even orange squash greeting us with their candle-light smiles.  But, there is something to the contrast.  The contrast between now and then - just one season past.  It is one of my favorite elements of life, these seasons in which we live, each one with their own perfect character.

With the very last of our summer berries officially consumed it seems appropriate to pause for one last nod to the most favorite part of summer - berries.  Or, perhaps, it is really the berry picking.  The slow deliberate way we make our way through field or bramble.  The stillness among us, between us.  Gentle conversation punctuated by sounds of savoring - uummmmh!  

This particular day of picking is ripe with the metaphor of season in my memory,  seasons in life.  The boys and I headed north this past summer to my old stomping grounds in the Pacific Northwest.  While there, we enjoyed many of the fruits of my childhood, which the boys love as much as I did and do.  I have memories of picking giant blueberries by the bucket-full, all day long, with just my cousins. Though I am sure my Auntie was near I do not remember adults in the blueberry fields, just giant berries, fully bellies and giggling cousins.

Through adult eyes it is easy to see how we, as children, felt we were the only ones there to play and frolic the summer away.  It was, again, my auntie who took me picking. This time I thoroughly enjoyed her company, and very much savored her presence, while my children indulged in their own day in blueberry land - possibly not knowing we were so near all the while.

So perhaps that pause, that in-breath of summer, all that warming-light will give us the needed energy to make it through this very busy, exciting season of harvest, planting, digging, learning and celebrating!  Autumn is here for certain, and I do so love it.

on summer solstice

Today, with the company of good friends, baskets in hand, sunshine on our back, and a lightness in our step, we welcomed summer in the fields.  While I had my heart set on peaches, it turned out that Olallieberries were the fruit of the day.

I find comfort in returning to the same place year after year, in search of sunshine and yummy fruit.  The boys know the gig, and so do I.  Ride tractor.  Pick. Pick. Pick. And goodness are they ever good pickers these days, that is unless they have friends to run amok with, as was the case today.  There was just about enough picking done by the little hands among us to be sure and leave the fields with the evidence written all over their faces. At our next stop the cashier asked them if they were saving some for later, they looked puzzled having no idea they looked like a berry themselves.  As for myself, I came away feeling satisfied that another season of picking was fully upon us.  Picking and preserving has begun.  It makes my heart happy each year, for food in some ways seems so simply basic, and yet there is so much to learn about it, to enjoy about it, to celebrate around it, and of course to truly be thankful for having plenty of it.

Wishing you the very best of summer!

butterflies alive

Loving these images from our visit to the Santa Barbara Natural History Museum.   I never knew a room full of adults, and children alike, could be so quiet, and move so slowly and carefully as was the case in the presence of hundreds of butterflies! 

Also loving these words: Advice from a Butterfly.

Wishing you a wonderful day.

long weekend ~ good times

Still reveling in the goodness of a long weekend,

warm weather,

plenty of playing and climbing,

fresh juice,

beautiful artwork,

(I madonnari at the Santa Barbara Mission)

and the simple pleasure of time spent among dear friends.