Sisyphus Acres

Trees are tapped, garden show was OK...

Well, washed the buckets, lids, and taps on Friday night.  Finished reading my book, it was a great read, it's a thinker, and I will for quite some time.  I highly recommend it.

We did go to the flower show yesterday, it was a lot smaller than I expected ~ I suppose a consequence of going to the Bston show so many times.  The exhibits were very nice, theme was "gardens of the world", the Japanese tea garden was one of the best, although the scottish one was neat, the French garden was typically lovely.  The only disappointitng thing is that there weren't a lot of "fresh ideas", there weren't a lot of garden vendors or "wow" exhibits.  I like to go to the shows to get recharged, to find new ideas, new plants...inspiration...that's what the show lacked, inspiration.

Although I did manage to get some heirloom seeds from the garden s of Strawberry Banke ~ which I will try out.  Skirret seeds.  They were found in one of the old houses during restoration, so seed line goes back at least to the early 1800's ~ they's propagated lots of seeds that way and maintain beautiful heirloom gardens as they must have had there during that time.  Skirret is a perennial, similar to parsnip.  I will go the the Strawberry Banke website and get some more info ~ they told me they have extensive info on the herbs/flowers/veggies they grow.

We stopped for dinner and the Christmas Tree Shop on the way home, picked up a new tablecloth for Easter.  Pretty much crashed when we got home.

Today we slept in ~ missed church ~ time change snafu ~ even though I reset the clock, I did not set the alarm .  Putted around today, we went out noon-ish to tap the trees ~ and since we are only doing 5 trees, it took us a matter of 15 minutes.  I sure hope the birch sap runs and I can make the soda.  I love experimenting with things like this!

Hannah drilled the holes for the taps, my dad "tapped" the taps in, and I hung the buckets and tamped down the trail to the trees.  We should have a pretty easy time getting in and out, although I'm sure it won't be as easy as I think luggin full buckets of sap out of there...lol.

Finished crocheting my "clog socks" except for the heels, hope to lay them in tomorrow night.  My mom just finished a pair of knitted socks for Hannah, just has to stitch them up tomorrow ~ they are bright and wild!  I need to get back to making crocheted bath sets for Christmas gifts.

Well, I need to head off to bed, I'll visit again soon,

val

Tapping the trees, but not the maples....

We just planted sugar maples last year, so we have a while before we get to that point...lol...we are setting taps and buckets out on Birch trees so I can make homemade Birch Rootbeer.  It is my first time through the whole process, and the soda takes 3 months to finsh, so I won't even know how it went until the beginning of summer!!  Exercise in patience.  Washed all the buckets, lids and taps tonight ~ and we'll be hanging them this weekend.  This morning it was -29, so we have a few days before the sap will run.

Tomorrow we are going to a flower and garden show in Portland ME.  It should be a fun day of new ideas and lots of fun stuff to think about.  Every time I go to one of those, I find new ideas.

I am working on a pair of crocheted socks ~ should finish them by tomorrow evening or early on Sunday ~ they are looking pretty nice ~ kinda "rag wool" looking for clogs.  They are pretty easy.

I am also reading an interesting book called "Aunt Sarah ~ Woman of the Dawnland", a book about an Abenaki Medicine woman living here in Northern NH/VT ~ it is so interesting to hear about the wild plants she used, where she gathered them, and how they were used.  And all in my backyard practically.  I have Mic'Maq in my bloodline, so stories like these are very interesting to me, and they harbal angle appeals to me too ~ I am very interested in learning about the way God has planned for our health, by providing healthy foods and healing herbs/plants.

Well, I'm off to bed, I'll write and let you know how the flower/garden show went.

Val

Username ~ boy am I boring!

Well my username is Valarieinnh ~ because, wel....my name is Valarie and I live in NH ~ SHeeSH I shoulda thought of something a little more original!

val

Homemaking meme

Sallie over at A Gracious Home started a fun new meme. Feel free to post the questions and your answers on your blog. Then go over to her blog to let her know that you're participating. She's using Mr. Linky so this is always a fun way to find new blogs!

Aprons – Y/N? If Y, what does your favorite look like?
I have one, but I don't use it as often as I should!

Baking – Favorite thing to bake
Cinnamon swirl bread (made with white wheat four ~ yummy!)

Clothesline – Y/N?
I use my outside one while weather permits, when we redo the front porch I intend to put an indoor line in there.

Donuts – Have you ever made them?
Nope.

Every day – One homemaking thing you do every day
Maing beds, doing dishes

Freezer – Do you have a separate deep freeze?
Yes

Garbage Disposal – Y/N?
No.

Handbook – What is your favorite homemaking resource?
I don't have one.

Ironing – Love it or hate it? Or hate it but love the results?
hate it but love the results.  I buy wash and wear.

Junk drawer – Y/N? Where is it?

Yes. One in my end table.

Kitchen – Color and decorating scheme
Mine is a bright Amish blue, I have stenciled a teapot border and have teacups stenciled as the wallpaper.  Als have lots of moose things in there (I collect moose stuff)

Love – What is your favorite part of homemaking?
My house feeling comfortable and inviting

Mop – Y/N?
Not really, mopping is one of Hannah's chores

Nylons – Wash by hand or in the washing machine?
Machine

Oven – Do you use the window or open the oven to check?
Open the door, I'm a need to "stick my finger in it" kind of checker

Pizza – What do you put on yours?
preferable mushrooms, sometimes sausage

Quiet – What do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment?
hopefully read

Recipe card box – Y/N? What does it look like?
we had nice little wooden one my dad made, but we outgrew them, now we use a photo storage box.

Style of house – What style is your house?
Big Blue Box, not sure it has a style outside, nice clean lines though

Tablecloths and napkins – Y/N?
yes, daily ~ and cloth napkins only at dinner ~ we are trying to cut down on waste.

Under the kitchen sink – Organized or toxic wasteland?
Organized

Vacuum – How many times per week?
Just about everyday. Again, see the mopping question above.

Wash – How many loads of laundry do you do per week?
4 loads, more when I'm washing linens (every other week)

X’s – Do you keep a daily list of things to do that you cross off?
Sometimes

Yard – Y/N? Who does what?
Dad does the mowing, we share the trimming duties and flower garden, I manage the veggie garden and Hannah primarily watches the herbs.  I watch all of the fruit trees and bushes.

Zzz’s – What is your last homemaking task for the day before going to bed?
Usually putting laundry away, paperwork or checking email

Homestead Challenge ~ day 1

OK, I'm behind the times a little too, but lets go...

In the quest for self-sufficiency, we are researching alternative energy systems ~ and in doing so have discovered that energy conservation really needs to come first.  We're expanding this idea in that conservation and stewardship in general need to be priorities ~ and that drastic lifestyle changes often don't work ~ so little steps to the goal.

reduce ~ reuse ~ recycle ~ or do without

Steps we have made/are making toward conservation of energy/resources and stewardship:

Changed to cloth napkins instead of paper (conserving trees, and add the napkins to existing laundry loads so no increase there)

Recently bought a battery recharger (and new recharegeable batteries) for those things that still require them.

Purchasing flashlights that don't require batteries (and giving away the old ones)

We need to install outside lighting ~ going solar lights for this

Growing our own food and canning (hoping for 75% this year) ~ reducing packaging trash (canning jars can be reused, lids go to be recycled), the oil to bring goods to stores, etc.

Composting ~ need I say more?

Sewed window quilts to aid in heat/energy conservation during the cold winter months

Using canvas bags for groceries and shopping (1/2 time right now, still getting used to it)

Planting a tree "buffer" to protect the house from the cold and the wind ~ aids in energy conservation in the winter, and is a cooling influence in the summer

Hanging the clothes to dry instead of the dryer (we can do this except for in the winter ~ when we redo the front porch we are going to install an indoor clothesline

Shutting the Lights off!  This little gem has a HUGE impact on the electric bill each month

Lowering the thermostat.

Keeping the humidity level up ~ we have hot air heat, and the more the air dries out, the tougher it is to heat (or cool in the summer).

Changing to compact energy efficient lightbulbs.

We have a LONG way to go, but we've implementing these baby steps without much pain at all ~ as we proceed the tougher cuts will begin ~

Val