A growing boy

As if I could deny the fact that Noah is turning into a young man right before my eyes. I have to remind myself that he was not born yesterday and that he, just like the rest of us, is subject to the phenomenon of aging. So I should not have been surprised when people starting commenting on his facial hair (yes, my son has facial hair!). Every time someone mentioned it, he would casually nod his head and say, "yup, I am becoming a man." Yet it took my breath away when David told me he taught Noah to shave. One step towards manhood and one step away from being my little "nobey." ~sigh~ Has it really been almost 12 years? ~sigh~~sigh~

Spring Equinox Celebration

The kids had a chance to celebrate and honor the first day of spring before the weather turned foggy (or "froggie" as Gita would say) and wet. Their day at the Forest Children Program on Thursday ended in full party mode. Some of the other children in the neighborhood joined the Forest Children for an afternoon of games, snacks, and music. David took a bunch of photos which is great because I was working...here are a few....

Organic Growers School

Publish Post

I spent the day at one of my most favorite events of the year, the Organic Growers School, in Flat Rock, NC. I started going about 5 years ago and it has become an annual tradition. There is nothing better to get me excited and inspired for the growing season.

This year I enjoyed a basics of vegetable gardening class which was full of new information even though I have planted a veggie garden every year for the past decade. I also got a ton of info from a cover crops for gardens class.

I rounded out the days schedule with a pasture pork class and a backyard chicken class. I figured the pork class would be a good idea since our 3 pigs are getting here in 2 weeks (!). And the chicken class was full of great info that will help us in building our new chicken coop this week to house our new flock of 32 chickens.

All in all, a wonderful day spent with hundreds of other folks from the SE interested in gardening, sustainable agriculture, livestock, farming, and homesteading. I have the option to go back tomorrow for 4 more classes, but I think that the "doing" side of homesteading may require me to stay home and get dirty.

http://www.organicgrowersschool.org/

Kids in the kitchen

It's AdorTable

The Five Carmonas have been slumming it when it comes to our kitchen table. I found it years ago at an antique store, and it had seen better days, or decades. But it was the right price and fit in our tiny house so we did our best to ignore its wonkiness. If the person sitting across from you set his/her elbows on the table, everything from the other side would start sliding down towards the elbow setter. We managed to eat 3 meals a day, 7 days a week, for 4 years around that table, in addition to all our homeschool lessons and projects. We learned to clear the table completely before bringing out the play-doh, because one good press through the fun factory and any water cup on the table would quickly be on the floor.

I oogle over those big long dining room tables that are sturdy and beautiful and beg you to sit and enjoy your meal. The ones that especially tickle my fancy have chairs on one side and a bench on the other. A girl can dream....dream for a table that fits the five of us, and doesn't need to have shims under its wobbley center leg to maintin a somewhat level surface, and wouldn't tip towards or away from me depending on who happens to be placing a slight bit of pressure on it.

Well a few weeks ago we were at the Goodwill and I found what I thought was an inexpensive, yet very sturdy, table. David went down the next day to buy it and welcome it to its new life, and quickly realized it was not actually a table, but a hollow interior door with legs. Unfortunately, the Goodwill has a no refund policy. David later was able to talk to the manager who said that they would give a refund but did not want the table back. Hmmmmm. David called me at work and asked if we would want the table knowing it was free, crappy, but free. So we took it for a spin and we are quite happy. Mind you, it is not a "table, " it is "adortable".

And the joy of having neighbors over for supper and seeing us all fit around one table.....the joy of having 3 kids working on 3 different projects around one table.....it is priceless.

Noah working on math at one end. My coffee cup, the school work boxes, and colored pencils all on one surface. And Nim's calendar pages on the other end. Heaven.

Big trees and machines

David and Brandon use their man power and big tools to knock down a standing dead poplar tree....less shade, more firewood.

Rare snow in Black Mountain

I wordled myself

This is so totally cool! I "wordled" my blog, and may I just say that I totally love the word, "wordled." You can click on the image to see it in a larger format. And you can make your own if you have a few minutes to spare:
http://www.wordle.net/create