Hodge Podge

We had a good weekend, just enough sun to entice the kids to roam outside for some much needed leg stretching, and use up some of that excess energy they had stored up during the week. They spent most of Sunday romping through the woods, and migrating back and forth between the neighbors and our house.

Garden Fun and Woes

I didn't get so much gardening done as I had intended, but the weeds haven't taken over too much yet, so I suppose that can hold off for a wee bit. The grass is enjoying all the moisture even more than my potatoes, peas and spinach though, and I thought I would need to get out there with my grass clippers and give the rows a trimming, but Nathan had the same idea, and beat me to it, so I was left with some extra time for other worthy pursuits. I did go out and take a little tour of my garden areas, and discovered what it was one particular Blue Jay had been so interested in. It seems Blue Jays, or this particular Blue Jay anyway, are fond of baby spinach! I noticed several bare spots in my rows of spinach, and within those bare spots were tiny holes. That dadgum bird had pulled those babies right straight out of the ground! I am NOT happy with that bird! One way or another the two of us are going to have it out, and I'm bound and determined to come out the winner! He may be sly as the proverbial fox, but I've got some tricks up my sleeve as well, and I'm bigger than him!

If you read my last entry, you may recall we have a problem with kities in one of our gardens. Yup, that's right. Kitties in one garden, birds in the other. I just can't help thinking there's something really, very wrong with this picture!


Knitting

Thanks to the kids enthusiastic helping hands in the garden, I was able to get some knitting done over the weekend, and the last couple days. I actually managed to finish one project which had been crying for attention for quite some time, and have moved on to trying different pattern stitches, searching for just the right one, or combination for my next project. I'm hoping to have that, as well as a good idea of gauge, etc. all figured out by the time the yarn I ordered arrives. I'm a bit nervous about this project, but excited as well.

Readin' and Learnin!

During one of my recent internet browsing sessions, I came across the title, and several rave reviews for a certain book. Honestly, it sounded a bit too good to be true, so I headed over to our libraries site, found it within the coop, and ordered it for a preview. This book is absolutely incredible! It covers most everything I could think of(and several things I hadn't) for living in the country. There are recipes galore (including a few more "daring"ones for squirrel, oppossum, raccoon, even porcupine and muskrat!) actually, they could have removed the recipes, and created a seperate cookbook just for them,resulting in two seperate, but still content rich books but, they are merely a small portion of this huge book. It is packed full of information on gardening, animals (from cats and dogs to rabbits and chickens, to horses, cows and pigs) There are instructions for making soap (I may manage to get that checked off my "list" yet! LOL), for making, and repairing floors, for constructing "homes" for rabbits and chickens. You name it, it's in this book! About the only thing I haven't found in it (yet) is knitting and crochet, but that's okay. I've got plenty of sources for that sort of information ;-)

This book, in my opinion, is a must have for anyone living, or planning to live in the country, and may even be a worthwhile book to own for some city dwellers. After leafing through this book for a little bit, I knew I had to have it, so went online and found it, New, for less than $20. It has been ordered, and I hope to have it in my eager hands by next Thursday. Oh! The title!
"Country Wisdom & Know-How ; Everything You Need to Know to Live Off the Land"

Google It! Check it out at your local library! Let me know what you think!

Sunday Night Movie Review

Sunday evening, after tucking the kids into bed, Pa and I sat down to relax and watch the second movie we had ordered from Netflix. We usually try for a comedy on Saturday nights, saving the drama, or action, or whatever for Sunday night. This Sunday our viewing choice was "The Simple Life Of Noah Dearborn", Starring Sidney Poitier. I just loved this movie! As the title indicates, it is a story of a man, and the simple life he chose to live. Perhaps it is the longing within me, which I've had for as long as I can remember, to live a more simple, natural life, away from the dependancy on the grid. Or, maybe it's my natural rebellious nature, always tending to do things a bit different than the norm. Then again, maybe it's a little of both with a generous sprinkling of belief in the basic goodness that all mankind must possess, whether it's apparent or not, but I became completely immersed in this film, and was sad when it ended, wanting it to go on forever. As well as being a story of this man's chosen lifestyle of simplicity, focus, and hard work, and the benefits it reaped for him, it is a story of greed versus goodness, and of our need for other humans in our lives, no matter how self sufficient we may become.

If you're looking for high adventure, rough 'n tumble, horror, sci fi, or tear inducing comedy, this movie is not for you. If, however you are open to a thought provoking, sometimes humourous, sometimes sad (rather like real life), mostly gentle portrayal of life lived simply within a society of excess, and the ultimate triumph of good over greed, perhaps you will enjoy this film as much as I did.

With, or without me, the second half of our week is beginning, and I don't want to miss a second of it! Time to step away from the keyboard and jump in.

Until next time...