A Morning On the Farm

I needed to collect some eggs for my breakfast, and I thought I'd take you with me....

First we see Floss, always waiting to do a job, she's always so pleased to see me!

Next we see the cows as they are on the lawn for the next few days as there is so much grass there, and I can't mow the top bit. They love that long grass and clover.

This brown and white cow is Dot. We hand reared her a few years ago to be raised to sell for meat, but she decided when she was only little to jump two fences with elecric outriggers, and an electric tape to go and see the bulls. So we had to keep her.
I milked her last year, and she reared a lovely calf. She is due to calve again in about a month, you can see her udder growing again. I still don't have anywhere suitable for milking, but she's going to need it as she was producing 12L at the very start which is too much for a tiny calf.














Next are the beautiful Devons and their babies...





Into the hen orchard, the Bramley apples are looking good...













We are greeted by the hens, I hope there are some eggs!
The geese walk away, as they know Floss will try to round them up if they are too close. They used to peck her, but then all of a sudden everything changed in that relationship!









They have made their own nest, on the floor and there is one hen sitting, and one waiting. Why don't they use a proper box? Silly chickens!
I reached under her, but no eggs yet! I'll have to come back soon....

His Quilt

I wanted to make him a quilt, and his favourite colour is green.

Green can be quite a dark colour, or quite cool. And what colours go with green?

This is my first ever quilt, and I wanted to make something nice.

I decided to make a log cabin inspired quilt, with a central pannel that had iinteresting hot air balloon scenes on. I tried to cut the centres with a bit of balloon in each, and something else interesting for him to look at...

I like the way it came out. He does too.

I made it for him when he was just four I think. The crazy bit is that he was absolutely adamant that I didn't make it, I bought it!! Insulting and flattering all at once!

Now he knows I made it all those years ago. He is nine now, and loves his special quilt. 

It was such fun to make!

A rare tidy moment.

Curtains

I have waited quite some time to be able to make curtains for our home. First all the renovations had to be done, so three and a half years later the upstairs is ready!

Next came the daunting task of choosing fabric. We just couldn't find any we really liked, so in the end we chose some colours and patterns none of us were greatly offended by.

I wanted to start on the boys' smallest window, a triangle shape that can hardly be seen, so I thought that it would be the perfect one to learn on.

After 3 months of waiting for the fabric I was able to get started, and how wonderful!

I'm very pleased with the outcome.

The process takes an awful long time, and once I start I can't really stop on that curtain until I've finished, as I'm mostly working on the floor - quite dangerous with hungry and thirsty children everywhere!

The heat at the moment is very difficult to deal with, but hanging a good thick curtain up makes an instant difference
to the room temperature.

So the boys' room is done...

I'm not sure we'll ever get them up now in the morning......

Natural hair care

For many years I have been interested in natural haircare, and concerned with all the chemicals in shampoo.

Thirteen years ago I was in the UK and it was easy to choose from many natural product shampoos, but still I was concerned about all the ingredients - the main ones seem the same as regular shampoos.

Edward has always used soap on his hair, but I was too afraid to try it, as I've always been told soap is really alkaline and will ruin hair, and he cuts his hair before any damage could be noticed.

Then about six years ago I became aware of the 'no poo' no shampoo movement, and just read about using bicarbonate of soda on hair followed by vinagre to flatten the cuticles, but never tried it.

When we moved here, four years ago I thought I'd try it. I liked the tingle on my scalp, and I could hear the squeek, but my hair didn't seem too stripped of oil, and then after using the vinagre I though my hair looked a bit unwashed still, but anyway...

I have continued this for the past four years thinking I was being really good for my hair, and the planet etc.

Then a month ago I went to the hair dressers for a trim, and I can't believe she did it, but she chopped off eight inches from the back, and twelve from the front. My hair used to be above my elbow in length, but now I have an awful mullet.

What a shock!!! All the time she was going on about how damaged and dry and ruined my hair was!

It is true actually now I think back, that my hair was a bit like straw, but I liked the way it changed colour to a  lighter shade - thanks to the dreadful damage.

Now, a month later, I have admitted the truth to myself that I might have actually ruined my hair using such strong alkali for so long.

So I looked up in the internet about how shampoos and other products clean hair.

There is a wonderful scientific lady in the UK somewhere, who has done lots of experiments on her own hair, and her husband's hair.

She has taken strands of unwashed hair, and then looked at them under a microscope having washed them with different products.

Her results were so interesting!

The bicarbonate of soda wash left as much oil on the hair as just water.

The vinagre left as much oil on the hair too.

Soap also left lots of oil.

Shampoo left it the cleanest, and conditioner-only left the hair very clean.

It turns out the bicarbonate has been doing nothing for my hair all this time, apart from degrading it due to the strong alkali which has lifted the hair follicle, and caused it to become damaged.

If I think about it, my hair was always a bit greasy, but I thought it was all good and natural.

I'm using shampoo now, and conditioner again. I don't wash my hair every day, and all the ingredients are safe for septic tanks and degradable.

I'm growing my hair back, and I see how foolish I have been. I knew the science behind alkali and hair proteins. I just wanted to believe the cool people!

I just want anyone else with lovely long hair to think twice about using bicarb or soap, and to look for real research into this craze, not just someone saying its 'really good man!'.

It is very sad, but I have certainly learned a lot from having my hair chopped off!!

My hair feels lovely and silky again now.

Collecting cicada shells

Yesterday afternoon we went collecting cicada shells from the big oak trees near our home...

We ran down the field to the trees...

Through the shade listening for where the cicadas were loudest...

I think they prefer oaks in the sun...

There they are!

Holding tight to the tree bark where the cicada crawled as a nymph for the last time were their empty shells.

There's one up there!

And three up there!

Oak trees are one of my favorite trees.

This one had a hole near the roots that made it look like a little doorway...

We collected lots, and took them home to the nature table.

I like this time of year. Lots of baby spiders are finding new homes, and the grass is shrouded with their tiny transport web strands.

Healing and cleansing

For a while I have been feeling a bit stressed out. We're moving soon, and there is so much involved.

Also we had a friend stay for a week in the middle of all this, and he is single, and works, and spends most  of his free time drinking alcohol, and computing/texting etc.

It was really eye opening to see a different way of life so close up. He was really easy to live with, and the children love him, so we were all very happy for that week. But it took its toll.

As a family we normally wait until Edward gets home, then we have dinner together. So we all sat round and ate together as normal, with the one addition of red wine. I wanted to join in. I would also have a small glass with my meal, and at the start that was a great novelty. Our friend would finish the bottle as the evening progressed.

I started to feel quite stressed as the week wore on. I craved foods like sweets, chocolate, tea and coffee.

I gave in to those cravings as the week progressed, and I began to feel unwell.

I became very sensitive to pain, and emotional stressors.

Towards the end of the week I actually started to feel poisoned - very tired and ill, and strung out.

How glad I was when the week was over!

I know that what we eat affects us. I really do know that, but still I went along with this diet of not so healthy stuff for a week!!

Anyhow. I realized why I felt the way I did eventually, so decided to sort myself out.

Stopping the alcohol was easy - but I missed it after just one week!

Next I decided to remove caffeine from my diet.

I stopped having tea, and coffee. The first day was fine, although the whole world looked grey, not colored.

The next day I got the anticipated headache. Horrible, all day. And fatigue.

Next day I got the headache, and hypersensitivity to light, sound and pain. Crashing fatigue.

The next day was easier. Colour started to return to my world!

Now the world I live in is just the same as it was when I was on coffee and tea! I feel great, and I don't need a caffeine kick to feel that way!

I'm not tired either.

Next I've tried to removed sugar, or refined carbs from my diet.

For breakfast I have oatmeal with a banana, walnuts, and cinnamon on top and milk. The cinnamon really makes you feel you're eating something much sweeter than it is. And I drink water, or a herb tea.

Lunch could be anything, maybe eggs from our happy hens - but I like toast with that, so not completely refined carb free.

Or quinoa with garlic and tomato and oil and goat feta. I love that one. Supposedly quinoa is actually quite high in sugar. Not so good.

Really don't know what to do about lunch.

Anyway, dinner is easier, as we all eat good food together. Lots of veg, maybe some fish, or once a week we have nice meat, maybe a quiche. With potatoes from the garden usually.

So after a week of the above change I feel back to normal.

I think this is why I couldn't smoke. I'd be so addicted. I feel quite easily addicted to foods and drinks, so smoking no way!!

I even exercised on Friday, and I felt good!

I must continue now.

Its so nice to read other bloggers food journeys, or healing stories and know I'm not alone on this one. We get so caught up in daily life and don't stop to properly evaluate how our bodies are behaving on the diet we follow.

It only takes a minute to properly look at ourselves, and our behavior, and change those not so healthy things. Why didn't I do it before?

Silly!

Chia

A few years ago we made a fairy garden in a big flat pot using chia seeds, and shells, and marbles and things. We really loved that activity.

The chia grew and grew into a forest eventually, and it flowered so beautifully.

The seeds from that flowering are still out there. This year we had chia in the drive and all over the place. I like that.

I also remember how the chia seeds felt when we added the water to germinate them - a bit like tiny frog spawn. A lovely sensation, and the children really enjoyed that bit too.

Here are some seeds I'm sprouting in the kitchen. I made that bowl, and I really like it mmm. At first I was really cross that the glaze didn't come out of the kiln perfectly in places. But now I really like those parts.

I must try to do some more potting.

Anyhow, the reason I'm trying to sprout them is that I decided they'd be more nutritious that way. I know they are super seeds and all that, but aren't most seeds more nutritious after a few days of sprouting?

Does it apply to chia?

I don't know. I just wanted to see if these ones that have been in the cupboard for ages would still sprout. Some seem to be splitting a bit.

Having a break from La Valse d'Amelie, which is driving me nuts at the moment. I have run the metronome down three times now trying to get the timing right on one section. Rather frustrating.

My girl and me

I've been trying to get a family portrait for days now, and it is just impossible it would seem.

The boys are always silly, or rude, so the only decent not ridiculously blurry pic is of me and my girl.

We were thinking of strawberries here. When we say 'cheese' we all look like we're in excruciating pain. 

What do you say when you have a picture taken?

I'm just going to keep trying with the family photo, maybe after dinner in the sunset.

Maybe.

Joy....

Exploding bread dough...

A new loaf tin. 

Most of the kitchen stuff I own is rubbish I bought when we first moved here. Cheap and nasty from the supermarket or somewhere, but yesterday I bought a proper loaf tin. It was quite expensive, but luckily there was a quarter off the price yesterday.

I'm just waiting for the loaf and some bread rolls to come out of the oven...Smells nice.....

I used shampoo today. First time in ages, and now I'm cross as my hair is all fuzzy. He wanted a picture of the back of his head too. So soft...

In the garden we found a pumpkin..

It would appear that most of the chicks will be cockerels. The white one is "Charlotte", and is the first to cock-a-doodle-doo. There were tears.

I liked the light streaming through this pumpkin leaf, and the pumpkin growing under it.

Buns are done, and that loaf tin is really good. 

Around the garden

I wanted to write a bit about the garden today, and what is growing really well, for future reference and memories in the winter....

The silver beet is growing strongly now..

Here is our sweetcorn..

Berlotto fire tongue beans. I'll wait for the pods to dry before harvesting them to save for soups  etc.

And here are some cannellini beans, slightly more prolific, again I'm going to dry them...

Dulce Espana peppers, just starting to grow after months of poor weather...

Peppers on the bushes...

And I had high hopes for this pumpkin patch. I put a great deal of time into preparing the soil etc, but the cold weather, and lots of wind seem to have taken their toll..

Just out of interest, here is our landlord's GM maize. Just look at the size of it, thats a tree on the left!!! Mental.

Marigolds lovingly planted by the children a long time ago now....

Lavender and a bee!

Basil looks happy...

Curious Tomas!

And here are the chicks, I think they are teenagers now. I still can't tell which are hens. The black one behind the mother hen has a slight comb, so I think it may be male, but we'll have to see which crow to be sure!!

 I had to put them back into the run, as I trod on one poo too many. Yuk.

And that's it really. Very hot, the sparrows are chirruping, and the cicadas are calling from the high trees.

Hope you enjoyed the short tour!