Recap & a Dose of Reality

About a year ago, I wrote THIS POST about simplifying my life online. And I explained why and how I was going to do it. Yet, I've continued to blog all over the place. So, I'm going to try to take my own advice, and just blog right here, stick around and see what happens.

My Homestead Bookshelf...

From the top of the pile down:

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: Barbara Kingsolver
Green, Greener, Greenest: Lori Bongiorno
The Omnivore's Dilemma: Michael Pollan

Simply in Season: Mary Beth Lind & Cathleen Hockman Wert

Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens: Gail Damerow

Storey's Guide to Raising Dairy Goats: Jerry Belanger

Storey's Guide to Raising Rabbits: Bob Bennett

The Veterinary Guide for Animal Owners: C.E. Spaulding & Jackie Clay

Green Housekeeping: Ellen Sandbeck

The Garden Primer: Barbara Damrosch

Square Foot Gardening: Mel Bartholomew

Great Whole Grain Breads: Beatrice Ojakangas

The Backyard Homestead: Carleen Madigan, ed. (Storey Publishing)

Nourishing Traditions: Sally Fallon

The Art of Simple Food: Alice Waters

The Encyclopedia of Country Living: Carla Emery

Barnyard in your Backyard: Gail Damerow, ed. (Storey Publishing)

Storey's Basic Country Skills: John & Martha Storey

Chicken Coops: Judy Pangman

If this seems overwhelming, start with Storey's Basic Skills & The Encyclopedia of Country Living. These 2 books will get you well on your way. After that, I'd get a copy of The Veterinary Guide for Animal Owners, (for WHEN things go wrong, and they will) and Square Foot Gardening. Happy Homesteading!

An example of how Life Gets Messy...

Wednesday, while my in-laws were visiting, we had "one of those moments." I thought re-telling the story would be a good example of why I named my Blog what I did. Here goes.

The seven of us are piling into cars to go to church for a get together. Pandemonium defined. As Peanut runs around my car to get in, she slips in the loose gravel, and bites it. Hard. Hearing the thunk of what I thought was her head on a car door, I race to the rescue, only to hear, "I'm OK!" As she pops back up like the merecats at the zoo.

Returning to my side of the car, I hear my father-in-law pop the hood (instead of the e-brake) in preparation for departure. (darned Toyotas!!) So, I try to find the hood release, finally locate it, get the hood closed for all the people in that car, and send them on their way. At which point we all realize the E-brake is still on, so no one goes anywhere.

By now, my mother-in-law and I are really laughing (she married into this wacky family, as well, after all, and totally understands.) When I turn to say goodbye to Mr. I. (in the other car) I manage to fling my cell phone across the driveway where it explodes into many pieces. Take That!! I proclaim, and the guys leave the two of us gasping for breath at what has surely been a Candid Camera staged 5 minutes.

The thing is, EVERYTHING in our lives goes like this. It's just how our family is. We call it Dodd-luck. Once in a while I wish I were a Jones, or a Smith.

Behind the Garden Gate

Welcome to my garden.

It is a bit like everything else here. A little messy.

I sometimes wish I had one of those lovely little French-inspired Potager gardens. Or an english cottage garden. Crazy flowers, herbs and veggies all growing side by side in glorious, messy abundance. Someday. But for now, this does quite nicely.

I must quietly confess. I covet Rhonda Jean's garden. Even in pictures, you can tell it's a place of comfort and peace. That is what I want here. But, I like to think if you look closely you will see a hint of what this little garden will become. A place of frugal abundance.

This is where my soul finds rest, here amongst the salad greens.

Peace- Be Still...

Do you know that song? The chorus from it popped into my head just now, while wondering what to post about. This last week, life here got very messy. The house was in shambles. I was feeling under-appreciated, and I believe my children were feeling over-worked. Mr. I was trying to stay out of the fray.

So, he and I did something that seems SO basic, you'd think all successful parents did it all the time, but we never had. I highly recommend it. We sat down and discussed our parenting together. Expectations, what we can and can't tolerate, and what we're willing to overlook. The result? We have happier girls who have allowance $ in their pockets. A happier mom who has help with the dishes, and a clean kitchen. A happier dad who has not had to yell to be listened to by his girls. And there's a girls' bedroom that may not be ready for its photo shoot, with more stuff left out than ever allowed before, but it looks lived in, and neat. I'm tempted to tidy their bookcases, but then, I think... you have Peace... Be still.

Loving the hammered metal spray paint...

While thumbing through an old copy of Woman's Day's Budget Decorating, (vol XVII, no. 4, 2007) admiring a kitchen I have long coveted, I spied the awesome rooster atop "Kate's" refrigerator. (p. 42 for those of you with as many back issues as me...) Casting a sideways glance at the cool, but oddly colored rooster on my cabinet, I innocently inquired of Mr. Incredible, "Do you have much of that spray paint from the cabinet hinges left?" Mr. Incredible, being a man of action, quickly turned my sad 1990's decorator-colored rooster into THIS bronzed beauty.

(alas before I thought to snap a "before" photo...)

He's now proudly perched atop MY refrigerator. I liked his makeover so much I cast my

cheap-o decorating eye on good ol' George and Abe.

Distinguished, perhaps, but looking a little jaundiced in their unfortunate gold paint. What? Doesn't everyone have presidential busts just kicking about? My hubby gave me these as a gift one year. What a man!!!


Here, you see the master craftsman returning to his studio for me, again. To properly decorate on the cheap, it helps to have a very handy, very patient husband.


Here's the makeover half completed. Notice George got the first turn in the paint booth, as his status as our first president demands. See the glint of jealousy in Abe's eye? Ok. Maybe not. That's just the gold paint talking.

And now, Ladies and Gentleman, the Past Presidents of the United States! Note: Abe now wears a very self-satisfied smile. Hail to the chief! George does not appear impressed with my witty banter. But he sure classes up our homeschool room!

What can you paint?

Ch-Ch-Ch-CHANGES...

I'm mixing things up with my blogs again. To begin with, I updated some links in the sidebar, check it out. Thanks for putting up with me.

Neapolitan Kids

Hey! Our girls have a new blog, check it out!

Neapolitan Kids: The Life & Times of Vanilla, Chocolate, & Strawberry

Have a great day!

Spring...

I have to just admit that I've been a blogging failure lately. We have been insanely busy every day, and by the time things settle down enough for me to think about the internet, I've been way too tired to care, let alone be creative. So, for those of you who enjoy reading what I'm up to, or those of you who I promised I'd post, you have my most heartfelt apology.

I have a ton of stuff I'd like to blog about, but I fret over not having a "good" picture, or the right text, or even, does anyone really WANT to read all this?? So I'm in internet limbo at the moment, which seems to happen to me every spring, when the weather gets nice, and I am so busy outside. Please forgive me.

Here's a short list of what I've been up to...

• Feeding, Cleaning litter boxes, and playing with (aka socializing) our 18 kittens. ALL litterbox trained by 6 wks is an accomplishment if you ask me. (Far faster than my kids potty trained!) Before anyone hollers at me for the number of cats we have, please note: the 3 mamas were dropped off here, and we have plans to get everyone we keep fixed as soon as the kittens are fully weaned. (SOON!!) I've heard more unsolicited advice on this than I care to mention. Dad was a feral stray, who no longer lives on our hill.
• Gardening. Everything is up, and it's all doing great. Even the weeds.
• Chasing chickens off the front porch with a garden hose. Planning a new fence.
• Cleaning my house, after the mud came through the basement wall in the rainstorms we had. AND because the inlaws are coming, the inlaws are coming!! (Where's Paul Revere when you need him...)
• Decluttering, and making the ladies at the library happy with all our videos now that we don't have a VCR.
• Cramming schoolwork in with the girls when it's too rainy to be outside. Ordering Sonlight.
• Not posting about our new deck furniture for fear of nasty blog comments. Deciding I don't care. We paid cash, shopped around, and love it. I feel like we have real grown-up furniture for the first time ever. How can I post about being frugal, though?? I guess this month I'm not so much.
• Trying to be tolerant with the brewery in my kitchen. He has a hobby, so I guess I'll shut up. And his beer is really good.
• ID-ing everything from bugs, to rocks, to tree pollens, to birds, to things the cat threw up last night. Dissection in Bio had nothing on "the cat ate a lizard..."

And so on and so on...

So Bear with me, I'll get back into blogging eventually. But right now, UFC is on.