Eek! The joke in my banner has come true. First Rabbit of the Season Two of them brazenly hopped right by the bed with the lettuces – our only crop, so far! They passed by it either because they didn’t notice the food, which I doubt, or because they were spooked when they spotted me …
Author Archives: kaat
Learning a New Skill: Pottery
It’s raining which is good: the soil needs it. So I’m stuck inside, with some time to catch up on research, and to show off my creations from my first session of wheel-thrown pottery! Here they are, thrown, dried, kilned and glazed: Their beautiful colors (glazes made by my teacher, Lisa Dolliver) are hard to …
Riot for Austerity: Month 6 – and Ode to Freecycle
Gasoline Whenever there’s a birthday party or a school outing, I volunteer to drive ourselves plus several more kids there and back and even around to their houses. This month has been laden with those, and DH has had to drive in to work a couple of times. Result: 9.65 gallons/person, or 23% of the …
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My Child Will Not Eat Vegetables
Gasp! See that gap? A lettuce was taken from under the shade cloth! Ah, there it is: And here: This last picture, my dear readers, shows a true miracle. For Amie will not eat vegetables. No peas, or corn, no cucumber, no cherry tomatoes, no broccoli. Mashed potato, yes, and rice, but that is it. …
Reading and Writing Checks Already, Arithmatic, and the Metaphyics of Time
What with all the gardening around here it’s been a while since I wrote about Amie’s non-gardening doings and goings. Here are some newer developments. We’re working on her letters. She recognizes all the upper and lower case and can sound out and read three-letter words: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4RYw1LUqv8 But writing them is something else altogether, especially …
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Potting Up and Seeds (Indoors, Outdoors, Ordered)
I made it to Volume Two of Edible Forest Gardens and am enjoying reading about Pattern Languages. I really like the way Jacke and Toensmeier blend philosophy/psychology and practical garden design: patterns that live… I already made some observations on our property that I wouldn’t have hadn’t I read their advice. I feel ready now …
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The Scarecrow
The scarecrow at his post
Two Games: the Sucker (Energy Saving) Game and Max
Our co-houser was very interested in pruning the house of “suckers” – appliances and battery chargers and the like that suck electricity even though they’re not in use. He was pulling them all over the place – especially the microwave, which is mostly my fault. He got so into it he devised a game: Each …
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Marathon Monday Garden Work
Marathon Monday weekend was that for us: a marathon! We had three days of free time, good weather shining down on us, a mound of soil and “compost” (really deteriorated mulch) delivered, and friends with wheelbarrows and stamina come help. We rototilled and amended and terraced the most problematic part of our front yard: the …
Riot for Austerity: Month 5
“Rekenen,” Dutch: to count Am I reckoning month 5 already – or only? Sometimes it seems like we’ve been doing this all our lives, other times it’s like we only started yesterday. It shows that we’re not totally “in the habit” yet. I’m 16 (!) days late in reporting. Also, this month is ugly: our …