Clean.

Weekend in the Garden.

I began Sunday morning seated on the kitchen floor, emptying our Homeschool Chest (where we store our art and craft supplies) out onto the floor. It was time to get organized. Mountains of paper, yarn, roving, paints, and pencils rose up around me.

But then...I looked outside.

The sun found its was back to our yard that moment, and I lost my enthusiasm on Homeschool organization.

We spent most of the day outside, in our bliss in the yard and the sunshine. There was even some gardening still to be done, nearly forgotten/abandoned in the cold autumn we've had.

 

I had purchased some bulbs at our coop over a month ago, but then it snowed. In October. I lost my enthusiasm until I stepped outside yesterday to a warm breeze and sun on my face. We had just been reading A Gardener's Alphabet, and B is for Bulb. I promised the kids some time with the bulb planter.

After running wildly around the yard in bare feet, they dug their sandals out of the box of summer shoes in the basement and got busy digging. We were out for hours, my organizing project left scattered across the kitchen floor (such things can wait). I didn't try to lure them back inside. The more time out in the air, grounding in the earth the better. Especially in the fall. There will be plenty of days spent inside in the coming months.

  

We even pulled out the picnic quilt (a tattered vintage piece I thrifted years ago) for a picnic on the grass. (I am hopeless when it comes to tattered vintage quilts. True love.) By seven PM they were both weary and collapsed into the sleep that only comes with a day out in the fresh air.

Oh, how I love you sun-drenched autumn days. Thanks for the encore.

 

 

Autumn Walk.

Pete is traveling for work, and those days are often packed with "to do's", like laundry, cooking, parenting, and generally holding the ship together. Today (his first day away) we were invited on a hike with some dear friends. We ditched the to-do list and put our boots on.

It was a perfect day. Sunny, breezy bliss. There was milkweed to make wind-magic with...

 

 

An abundance of love - with plenty of hands to hold,

 

 

 

and the beauty of nature to hold us close.

As fall inches towards winter, these days are vital. Connecting with the people we love most (even with my sweetie away) out in the sun and wind is also vital. Laughing, walking, talking, relaxing, picnicking... truly a perfect, magical autumn day.

 

As we walked the final stretch back towards the trailhead, Lupine sprinkled sumac berries along the trail. She said, "These berries are for Mother Earth. She can gather them up in her fairy wings and fly away to the earth, her home, to plant them."

A day like this breeds magic indeed.

A Natural Halloween.

Over the years we've built many wonderful traditions in our family. Halloween is no exception. We celebrate with part family tradition, part local tradition, and a bit of good ol' American gluttony.

This year Lupine chose to be a bluebird. It wasn't much of a stretch, as her birthname is Lupine Bluebird Wolf, and she has claimed the name since she was barely two ("No me Lupine. Me Bluebird.") Sage, who loves the darkness of halloween was transformed into a vampire.

 

I sewed silk wings for our little bird that fastened around her wrists and chest, and knitted her a bluebird hat. She looked so sweet, and ran up and down the sidewalk flapping her wings.

The hat was based off of a free Ravelry pattern called the "Wee Balaclava". I knitted the beak free-form and embroidered on the eyes.  It will serve as her everyday winter hat this year as well.

Sage created his own costume in its entirety, save the bat wings that he asked me to sew. I love watching him grow into his own authentic person and create from the ideas in his mind. 

 

Our community is the home to one of the only rural Waldorf schools in the country. Each Halloween the 8th grade students put on an Enchanted Forest Walk as a fundraiser for their class. This year's theme was Wizard of Oz. Guided by a costumed 8th grader, the children experience the story - bit by bit - along the trail. As the tale unfolds they receive treats from the characters they meet (like organic popcorn balls and apples, a wool felt badge of courage, a magic wand, and an organic lollipop).

 

The opportunity to have a bit of food coloring- and corn syrup-free Halloween fun, combined with community connection is one the the blessings of living where we do. After the Enchanted Forest Walk we take to the streets for trick-or-treating. Our town is small, so we see many friends as we travel our two block route.

After returning home we eat some sweets and choose a few candies to keep. The rest we leave for the Pumpkin Fairy. We read a Samhain story from Circle Round, then the children place an apple in their windowsill for Grandfather Deer (a character in the story). By morning The Pumpkin Fairy has worked her magic and the candy has been transformed by into a small treasure for each child. The apples, of course, are gone - taken away by Grandfather Deer on his journey to the Isle of Apples.

With each season we carve out a bit more or our family's traditions. It is grounding to know the rhythm and customs that each season brings, and we appreciate the new magic that comes with the cycling seasons.

And what about you? What traditions does your family look forward to? (Share a favorite or two in the comments field. You might just inspire another family with a wonderful new tradition.)

Go outside and play.

I took a walk alone this morning. Just my boots and me. A solo walk at this stage in my life is a rare and precious event. The air was cold, the frost thick, the sun bright.

And all six blocks of it were magical.

 

The contrasts at this time of year are poetry for my visual mind. Cold and warm, vibrant and dark, beginning and end.

 

 

And autumn, like so many other delicious bits of life is fleeting. It won't be around long. So put on your boots, grab your favorite sweater, and get into it. Smell it, hike through it, roll in it.

Skip out of work/school/other daily obligations if you have to. But do it now. The magic won't wait.

Hand-painted wooden peg people.

I woke up grouchy today.

Tired. Crabby. So I made some tea and then decided that instead of feeding my children breakfast, we would paint peg people.

And suddenly I was so much less grouchy.

The family above shows my grouchyness in that the mama is less than cute. The big kid peg person (now know as "HiHi Sage") is beyond adorable, while the real life-sized Sage was not so adorable this morning.

But that is more information than you asked for.

I also painted a pocket acorn and a large bead head that some other grouchy morning will be transformed into a finger puppet.

 

Easy, sweet, and fun. The kids made 2000 of them (give or take). They were painted with concentrated watercolors. We plan to finish them later today with a beeswax/jojoba oil rub. We buy our peg people and acorns (and many other treasures) here.

(And then they got into their van and drove away.)

 

"Hey kids - look over there."

"What? Where?"

(kissing noises).

The end.

A Little Sewing: Patchwork Doll Bed.

Lupine has inherited her brother's old doll bed. He never used it much and despite my desire to raise gender-neutral, sensitive children, they found their own grooves.

Lupine is a baby-mama. She spends her days engrossed in nurturing play with her dolls. They had been sleeping the day away on a hard bottomed bed, so I took an evening to complete this little sewing project.

It was delightful to take on a manageable project that I could see through to completion. There was even time to add a pillow to keep baby's heads comfortable as they sleep away.

Her next project request? A "Lupine-sized mei tai" baby carrier. Yes, she is quite the little mama.

Putting the Garden to Bed.

Yesterday the sun was shining. At first, we experienced confusion. (What was that burning yellow orb?) And then - a four person race to the door. 

We dug. We raked. We hauled. We pulled. We harvested. We composted. We played. We mulched.

We gardened.

It was what I have been hungry for all autumn long. Outside all day, we had to force ourselves in for chili and bed after the sun went down. The children slept solid for nearly twelve hours. (That's a sure sign of a wonderful day.)

 

The kids were focused and engaged with the earth. Lupine, after taking fist-fulls of mulch to "tuck the worms into their beds" found time for one last naked romp in the hose.

Sage, after digging (then filling) a massive hole that he suspected might reveal a "treasure chest full of gold, gems, and all the Legos I've ever wanted" did some woodworking out in the fresh air.

And me? Aside from all of that gardening, I had a sweet place to sit when Lupine needed to connect...Our new/old vintage shell chairs!

We trash picked these four chairs around the time Sage was born. They were rusty and falling to pieces. I have been sanding and painting for, well, seven years. Today they are done! And we're finally ready to relax.

Soon they will be joined by two more and a round metal table. The two newcomers belonged to my great grandmother and were a gift from my dad.

Let's hope the weather holds so that we can enjoy them - and the sunshine - for a few more days...

Homemade apple sauce recipe.

Each fall my sister comes from the city for a small-town sleepover and we visit the local organic apple orchard for a day of picking. I think we all look forward to it from the moment the leaves begin to turn. It is the only organic orchard in the state and we love it dearly, for all of its quirks.

Last year we picked in tee shirts, enjoying the sunshine. This year we picked in winter jackets and mittens. This has been that kind of fall, and we're getting outside, despite the feeling of being overdressed for October.

As is custom, we ate ourselves sick or apples and had a blast running among the trees, searching out the best fruit. We left tired, happy, and full. That night we had apple crisp for dinner (really) and fell asleep exhausted.

 

A day on the ridge picking results in days of kitchen time, making fresh cider in our juicer, and making the easiest (yummiest) apple sauce on Earth (you may recall this post from last year).

Are you ready to make your own? The recipe below is based loosely on Sally Fallon's Applesauce recipe in Nourishing Traditions.

Easiest Homemade Apple Sauce

Supplies:

* Large stock pot

* Potato masher

* Food mill (Don't have one? See modification below.)

Ingredients:

* 1 bushel apples

* 1/4 c lemon juice

* 1 Tb. ground cinnamon

3 C water or cider

Instructions:

Cut apples into quarters. Do not peel, core, or otherwise trouble yourself with too much work. Add lemon juice and 3 C water to the pot (if you have cider you can use it here too). Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for a few hours, pushing down occasionally with potato masher. Watch out for burning and add additional water if needed.

Mix in cinnamon and cool until warm but not hot. Pass through a food mill. (Ours is big and lovely - another thrift store score, but you can easily find this kind for just a few dollars with a little thrifting effort.)

** Note: if you do not have a food mill, then peel and core the apples and proceed as above. Its a bit more work but still results in delicious sauce.

Patchwork Table Runner (now what?)

I love the spontaneity of an out-of-my-head craft project. But, um, now what?

I currently have four (yes, four) unfinished quilt projects in the works:

1. The robot quilt, so long in the works that its been rejected by its recipient as "too babyish".

2. A cowboy quilt made for a child who was hospitalized but was released before I figured out how to put it together. That was (ehem) almost three years ago.

3. A  quilted mattress for Lupine's doll bed  edited: completed late last night! One down, three to go!

4. This table runner.

What comes next? I have lots of unhelpful books on the subject, but none of them address fly-by-your-undies patternless crafting and the wonky non-squareness that results (at least in this craft room). Any guidance out there? How on earth do I square this up and get quilting?

Baby Care Recipe: Baby's Bath Bundle

When we were first starting our body care business we made a lovely product called "Baby's Bath Bundle". Made with organic oatmeal, and calendula and lavender blossoms it was a wonderful alternative to soap for newborns. (Yes, despite what you may have heard, babies don't need soap. Soapless washing is best for their fresh, tender skin.)

We discontinued the Bath Bundle, but this week I have had two customers asking for them. Ideal for any itchy skin (young or old), Bath Bundle is gentle, soothing, and relaxing. Great for diaper rash, hemorrhoids, poison ivy, bug bites, and sunburn.

I recommend organic for all ingredients. Dried herbs can be purchased through your local food coop in their medicinal herbs section, or online through www.wildroots.com.

Ingredients

2 C rolled oats (quick rolled oats are preferred, but use what you have)

1/2 C dried calendula flowers

1/4 C dried lavender flowers

1/4 C dried chamomile flowers

Essential oils (any, all or none - avoid for babies under 6 months):

four drops lavender EO

one drop patchouli EO

Place all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Stir with clean hands or a wooden spoon to combine. Add essential oils and stir to combine. Store is a glass jar with a tight fitting lid in a dry, dark location. Bath Bundle will last at least 1 year.

Using your Bath Bundle is easy. There are two methods. Try both and choose your favorite.

Method 1: Tea Bag Brewing- Fill a reusable cloth tea bag with approximately 1/4 C Bath Bundle. Hold bag under running bath water and squeeze and massage to release soothing elements. (You can make your own tea bag by tying a double layer of cheesecloth into a pouch with string or by sewing muslin into a small drawstring bag).

Method 2: Loose Brewing - Scoop 1/4 C bath bundle into a teapot or cooking pot. Fill pot with hot water, cover, and steep until cool. Strain and press out any water. Add to your bath.

Bath Bundle is compostable after use, and if you choose the Tea Bag method of brewing you can also compost your worn cotton tea bags.

Enjoy!