A Very Merry Christmas from Our House to Yours.

I just spent the last hour trying to create the perfect Christmas card and had nothing but technical difficulties so I just decided to write a Christmas photo blog. So here goes…this year was eventful as is our entire life. Tony and I became foster parents in January which brought our household numbers up to 6 kids and 2 adults. It was crazy but so are we so it all worked out. Our foster daughters went on to greener pastures in a new foster home with their brother in June and we keep in touch.  We also endured “snowmageddon” last year. It just never seemed to be done snowing. We cranked up the wood stove, baked cookies, drank tea and gained weight.

Before we knew it spring was springing along and though the ground hog did not see his shadow the snow did eventually melt. Honestly it did seem like the winter and early spring flew by, or maybe we really were just stuck in the house and couldn’t do that much. Anna was finishing up at community college, working as a life guard and applying to University and Mia had decided to follow her older sisters lead and begin at community college in the  fall instead of returning to public high school.

In April we had the good fortune to have Tony’s nephew James for a visit due to the fallout from the Volcano blowing ash all around the globe. He was in DC for a conference and got stuck, so he came to stay with us for a few days before traveling on to visit in New York City. It was fun seeing him and having him stay with us.

In June we joined our extended family and had a much needed vacation to our favorite humble but wonderful location, First Landing State Park.

Sadly, Anna did not get to go on vacation with us this year because she did her first archeology field school at Stratford Landing with University of Mary Washington and though she got very dirty, burned and cut she definitely decided this is what she wants to do for a living. I knew giving her that spoon years ago to dig in the back yard was a good idea. Also in May, Anna was accepted to University of Virginia where she has just finished her first semester. She is very excited about studying anthropology and if you’re not careful she will analyze all your behavior and compare you to Cro-Magnon.

dig site from above

Mia went off and became a life guard, opened her first bank account and bounced her first check all in one summer. In August, Mia also became a college student at the ripe old age of 15. She had had enough of public school and decided to give community college a try. She just finished up Drawing 1 and History of Western Civilization. She is still learning how to manage her time but is doing spectacularly well. Mia accompanied me and my good friend in early October to Kiptopeke State Park where we camped and got to see a bird banding as well as all the many birds that funnel through that area at that time of the year. We had a blast.

Mia also dug out a large box of old cameras that belonged to my dad and has a new passion, film photography. Many of the cameras still work and she has gotten some fantastic shots. It is rather expensive but she is earning her own money now so I am delighted she is using them.

Back in August I started a Master Naturalist course which met weekly. It was great fun for me and I learned tons about nature which is very helpful for my job.

It is hard for me to believe Jenna just celebrated her 14th birthday, it just seems like yesterday that she was an itty bitty girl. She is often my companion when I go canoeing or hiking and we’ve had some great times outdoors together.

We were very happy to welcome Tony’s niece Kate and her husband John to our fair city as well. John was in DC on business and Kate joined him and they spent a couple of days with us. We really enjoyed their visit certainly hope they decide to return again someday.

Last but definitely not least Sara who is 11 is full of life and energy at all times. She seems to never stop, except when she falls asleep. Sara got a guitar for her 11th birthday and has learned several songs already. She is happy to be homeschooling again and is diligent about getting her work done each day so she can hang out with her BFF, Rebecca.

In December Tony celebrated his 53rd birthday. I reminded him about the good news that in only two more years he can get a senior discount. He was not amused. We did have a nice party.  He continues to slave away unselfishly and make a horrible and ungodly commute day in and out, so the rest of us can enjoy our fantastic life. He is my hero.

I know I surely have missed the most important details as they are the tiny things that happen each day but at least I’ve covered some info to keep anyone who is interested up to date. I hope you all are well and will contact us and come for a visit if you are able.

God bless you all and do have a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year.

Blizzard!

I am presently snowed in with a bunch of kids, two dogs and a husband recovering from shingles. I did make a trade though, a couple of teens were sent to a friend’s house, so they are snowed in there.

My daughter had her 13th birthday party last night and though we knew this was coming I did not want to cancel the party as it is rare for her to be able to celebrate on the actual date of her birthday. Two of the girls came without coats and only one came with boots, and one actually showed up in a tank top, so it was a bit of a scramble to try and suit them all up to go play in the snow. The house is covered in dripping winter apparel. Thank goodness I’m not a neat freak.  Fortunately I have plenty of food. We have been eating and drinking lots of hot drinks but what a better way to spend the winter weather.

This is about the most snow I remember since we had a major storm in 1996 and because of the winds it is being called a Blizzard. We have about a foot and it is still coming down an inch an hour and isn’t supposed to stop until midnight. I think I’m gonna have these kids a while. So far so good. Most of the hysterical giggling and screaming was over once they settled in to watch a movie and right now, they are actually being quiet. I am not planning to get out of my pajamas. I wish I could shop online for Christmas presents but I think they would not get here by Christmas, especially due to the heavy snow. So like the dogs, I think I’ll curl up in a blanket and take a nap.

Composting for Dummies

Today I finally got out in the garden. I was desperate to dig around in the dirt. I don’t think I have truly left my childhood. In fact, how many of you alert readers remember a time when for fun your mom would send you out in the yard with nothing other than a kitchen spoon to dig in the dirt? I have a very strong memory of this simple and yet fun activity. I still love it but I use a small pick and a shovel now.

I have had mixed success in my gardening, mostly because in our locale we have endured a number of years of drought and nothing really can replace the rain. I also don’t have  a huge extra income to spend on plants. I mostly split up the ones that multiply all on their own, better known as perennials. I also fully admit that I can not get out in the yard as often as I would like, it will be less now due to my new job, so I don’t water my plants regularly. The weeds seem to thrive while the plants aren’t always as prolific.

One of my favorite activities is composting. I positively love it. Why do I love composting? Mostly because it is such a great way to make wonderful soil AND keep tons of garbage out of the landfill. I must say that I am glad I did not go out and pick up a book to read about how to compost because if I did I probably would never have gotten started nine years ago. I was chatting with my neighbor one day and she suggested I just throw my kitchen trash out in a pile of leaves in the back yard. I could not believe it could be that simple so I kept calling her back to ask more questions. She was patient and I kept on.

Some time later I picked up a couple of books and read about how one was “supposed” to correctly compost and realized I was doing it all wrong. Apart from NEVER putting in meats or fats I did just about everything I wasn’t supposed to do or rather I did nothing they suggested. The amazing thing was that at the end of each season I had produced an amazing thing called humus; rich black dirt some folks call black gold. I have consistently composted for the entire nine years. I have done a number of different things but it always seems to work out for me.

I rake the leaves in a huge pile at the side of our yard next to my neighbor’s fence then in goes the kitchen trash; banana, apple, potato peels, coffee grounds, tea bags, old lettuce, anything vegetable matter that has not been eaten. I also have the girls compost their guinea pig bedding which is shredded newspaper and lots of poop of course but since they are herbivores it is fine. We even compost the ashes from our wood stove when they are COLD, otherwise you will set the whole thing on fire.

Because I don’t really want to turn it often, actually I never turn it, I told you I do everything I’m not supposed to, it doesn’t rot over rapidly. However, it still works for me. Today I dug down just a little and found lovely heavy black wet rotting leaves. I used them to mulch one of my flower beds. What I do there is to put down heavy wet newspapers and then the rotting leaves and low and behold I have a great weed barrier and it looks pretty good. In fact, from a distance it looks just like expensive mulch. The best part is that it is free and better yet recycling trash. Here are some photos and if anyone gets inspired to try it out remember you just need a largish pile of leaves to get started. Here is a wonderful website, A Complete Guide to Composting to help with other details.

I almost forgot to mention some other benefits of composting. It gives many wonderful critters a great place to live and feed. Today I found two beautiful skinks just waking up. It is still a little cold for them but when they got out in the sun they started moving around. I got a photo of one. I also have box turtles every single year in my yard and they often lay their eggs in the compost. My dog benefits as she has a compost buffet whenever she likes. The vet says its fine because it is vegetable-it won’t make her fat. The only down side is the gas it gives her but I guess I shouldn’t mention that here.

 

 

Fall, Leaves, Fall

Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers, away;
Lengthen night and shorten day;
Every leaf speaks bliss to me
Fluttering from the autumn tree.

I shall smile when wreaths of snow
Blossom where the rose should grow;
I shall sing when night’s decay
Ushers in a drearier day.

Emily Bronte

I taught my girls this poem a few years ago and I just love it. I don’t think I even paid attention at the time to who wrote it. Now that I have read the Bronte sisters, just having finished Jane Eyre, I can see why I loved it.

Fall is such a magical time. Somehow it is so exciting smelling those first smells of wood burning and feeling that first chill in the air. I especially love the colors all around. Fall is one of the reasons I like living where I do, where we can enjoy all the four seasons.  Sweaters are dragged out and hats and gloves start getting used again but it’s not so cold that it is uncomfortable. Even though things are dying it feels new, perhaps because it is a change from the heat of summer.

Yesterday I went to a play ground with three of my girls. We hadn’t been for a while  since they are getting a bit older and mostly they play at home, riding bikes and scootering right here. I brought a book along but I literally just sat in a sunny spot and closed my eyes and smelled the fall and listened to the birds and the kids squealing. It was so invigorating. I need to get out in nature more. I think I’m going to put that on my list of things to remember to do, go out in nature at least once a day.

Enjoy your fall where ever you may be.

Mimi