I’ve read Martin Shaw’s book Scatterlings a couple of times now and I keep finding hoards of riches. Here’s a good introduction to it, filmed by Ian MacKenzie:
Category Archives: skills
What’s Been Happening
I laid down the first three rows of the brick wall for the earth oven (more on that soon). It didn’t have to be pretty (we’ll cover this with mud in the end), just strong. Though I got in a groove, I decided to wait to open another bag of cement and put down another …
Wise People and Cobblers
In my journal I wrote: Understanding comes and goes as huge, crashing waves. One recedes and the other comes. It’s hard to catch your breath. I had just finished reading Stephen Jenkinson’s latest post, “There’s Grief in Coming Home,” when I looked up and I must have had an expression on my face for Amie asked: …
Neighbors
Discovered over the last couple of months: neighbor who can help me identify wild edible mushrooms neighbor who can help me dispatch a chicken to my freezer once the time comes neighbor who can darn the holes in my favorite ten-year-old sweater neighbors with whom to share seeds and gardening schedules neighbor who can take …
Cushions
The farmer in his field A while ago we finally took the step and enrolled in a year-long CSA, starting this Spring, at Siena Farms. We visited the farm in Fall and fell in love with the fields and the farmers. I loved especially the fact that the owner, Farmer Chris, puts effort and money …
Home Skills: Chimney Works
Looking at the new heating season, DH and I were looking at two tasks. 1. Clean the wood stove chimney. It had been two years, so we felt it was time. Instead of hiring a chimney sweep ($150 a visit) we bought a chimney brush with rods ($165). DH climbed up (our house has only …
Amie’s Cello Recital
There used to be a time when this was a mommy blog. Then it became a garden blog. Now it’s becoming an activist blog (of sorts). But today we’re paying homage to the blog’s first form, and  we’re going to enjoy some music. Here is Amie’s first recital, a few weeks ago. Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhsU3Y2UZ14 By …
Solar Plans
Solar eye Today we talked to the tree removal people, and the quote they gave us was reasonable. We’re talking a lot of trees, here: six largish-large oaks (some white, some red), one massive beech and one younger one, and three tall pines. Then there will be stump removal (necessary because we want to plant …
Bug to Beer. And Growing Ginger and Turmeric
Bubbles! The Ginger Bug is bubbling so I’m moving on to the next stage of brewing a good beer: adding the culture to the base (water, more ginger and sugar/honey) and letting it ferment away some more. I’m making a little less than a gallon, about 6 wine bottles, I should say. DH made some …
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NYC Finds
So, we made it to NYC, from our place to our friends’ place, in just 3 hours. Also the return trip, the day after, took exactly 3 hours. We have the route, the best times to travel, and the gung-ho attitude down pat. It was unfortunate that we had to take the car, but all …