God's Goodwill

Yesterday I scoured the Goodwill... I needed new shoes, LBR needs barn boots, RKR's school shoes are getting snugger by the day.

 I LOVE thrift store shopping, but as I rummaged there was a piece of me that ached for what if I could just go to Target? What if I could ignore price tags?

Something called me to check out the book section. There before my eyes was this book for 97 cents.

 My book club is reading a book about a depression era midwife in Appalachia Cole Country... so I thought this might be a neat little addition to the discussion.

So this afternoon I stoked the woodstove and percolated  coffee I got at the grocery auction for $1.00 a case in the .99 percolator I got at Salvation Army. Sitting at my Mammal's dining room table surounded by hand me down chairs I began to read. 

This book is a compilation of first hand vignettes and photography from depression era folks.

I'm not ashamed to say I wept! Tears streaming down my face, into my coffee... 

 Today like the mothers in this book I had used my last cup of flour, I had canned dried beans for future dinners. I had just payed bills, stressed about my budget, worried about money.  I found commonalities in their worry, but quickly snapped back...
With God's help I'll never truly know where they've been! There are boxes of hand me downs in the attic, a paycheck coming in 2 weeks, good heat, running water, freezers full of meat, and a pantry with enough we could stretch some time.

There are lean times, but I'm blessed with abundance!

I still feel weepy, but I can learn alot from the pages, stories, and spirit of these folks.

I plan to work harder on a garden this year. Be even more self reliant! CAN MORE PEACHES! Get a few more hens! Stack the woodpile higher... and maybe... bury a few dollars in a mason jar out back because well????

I did get shoes... but... somone knew I needed a reminder of my blessings. To recenter... it was God's Goodwill at the Goodwill...

In love and light

♡AVR

I'm not listening...

I'm not listening... Can't hear you... lalala! 

Let me preface this by saying I don't do politics. I believe what I believe and it is rarely voiced past the gravel lane of 2950!

This week has been a taxing one to my soul... professionally, personally, nationally I feel bruised by ugly words and ugly actions of people who simply know better! Facebook and Instagram brought out a lotta ugly, I refused to watch anything but cooking show re-runs on PBS... and gave up on NPR except for re-runs of A Prarie Home Companion( ( because I have a crush on Chris Thile the dreamy mandolin toting host!!! ))

 Yesterday I realized I needed to have a straight up 3 year old fingers in my ears I'm not listening anymore...

 adult tantrum... party of 1!

I started the day with 100 degree yoga and as my beautiful yogi sister in law says "I had some stuff to get out!" Total this weekend I've spent about 2 hours on my mat... 

 Then my body completely crashed. I devoured  fresh guacamole,
took 2 naps, an epsom salt bath and was in bed by 9.
I'm not listening... I can't hear you! La la la!

I drank an entire cup of hot coffee in my greenhouse and even hosted an old fair friend in the greenhouse for an hour today... nope still not listening.

And then when it was dark I dug 100 pages deep into a new book and generated a page for my book club... what??? Sorry, I still can't hear you!

Dearest world I'm sorry I can't 

hang with the drama... I'm not sure I'm ready to take my fingers out of my ears yet, but I'll have to to hear the alarm clock tomorrow....

But LBR and I both know beautiful days are to come... seed catalogs  come addresses to me! These people believe I can make this beauty happen here!!!I always feel like seed catalogs are the ultimate reminder that gray days will end, keep planning, keep reaching, there is beautiful things coming, but you'll have to sweat and be dirty to see it!

Yours in love, light, and adulting.
♡AVR

I'm no scientist... but...

Growing up with pigs and chickens there was always a bucket in the sink for scraps. It just was one of those things... when the Homestead Engineer and I got together it was just one of the things that made him shake his head at the new life he was entering with this wild eyed lady. Food scraps always had another life... one more job.

With the 2 ladies we are rich in pizza crusts, half eaten apples, and banana peels.

 We use a bucket with a lid. Ice cream pails, popcorn buckets, and pretzel jugs make great collectors. If it ever went in the fridge it's probably going to see the compost at some point. I'm enough of a compost nerd I even bring home my apple cores and banana peels from my lunch.
I compost junk mail, and at the store if I get a choice I always ask for paper and it gets composted too!

Shredding junk mail is very therapeutic. I rip it up into stips. The rule of thumb is if it isn't shiny paper it can go in.

The hens make a regular ahh hemm "contribution" when I clean out their house every few weeks.

They also do their part at keeping the compost turned and aerated.

So is it worth it? This pile of rotting everything?

This is spinach in the greenhouse right now planted in miracle grow potting soil...

This is spinach planted the same day that's in the greenhouse in an 80% compost 20% potting soil mixture. I'm no scientist... but... I think this speaks for itself! 

So nows the time to load up the compost bin so they'll be plenty for starting seeds this spring.

Yours in love, light, and decomposition

♡AVR

All's Fair....

I spent my formative years (8 to 18) as a livestock exhibitor. If it had legs and could go to a fair... I probably took or helped someone take it at some point!

I never imagined these years later I'd look back on those days and realize just how much they prepared me for adulthood.

A fair is a yearly event. Some folks you only see once a year, but you build friendships that pick right up where they left off. Because of this skill I have a beautiful frienship with my lifelong friend RLHC who lives states away, but when we finally share a space for at least one glorious day a year our friendship is exactly where we left it.

Sleep at fairs comes in bursts. 3 hours here... 20 minutes there. As a momma now this skill to power nap anywhere  like no other helps on days like today when there has been NO rest since 2:45 we are on the virus battlefield and I'm at the helm of the last stronghold!

Then there is the night watch. You sleep with one eye open and one ear listening. You're the one in charge of seeing nothing is soiled, set free, stolen, and if needed you give the scolding to those pre teens doing teen "stuff"...

Throughout our home are tiny trinkets and reminders of some of my greatest fair victories and memories... like my farm queen crown and my trophy from Mac..  still undoubtedly the 2nd greatest milk cow that ever lived with Anna Mae and Goldie tied for 1st.

So for tonight I've got the night watch with 2 sick babies and the Homestead Engineer down for the count.

Oh and this old thing... look still fits ♡

Yours royally in love &light
Harford County Farm Queen....

AVR

Pizza the Roland Way

Today was cold... like the thermometer on the porch never saw 20 kinda cold. It was a good day to worship the woodstove and have Pizza for lunch.

Take out just isn't in our budget and it's a huge splurge for us since a single take out order usually is about $30.00 and 10% of our food budget in one greasy meal just doesn't appeal to us.

For the most part we eat as clean as possible with as much from scratch as we can. It's been a big part of my journey back to health after a demanding pregnancy with LBR and an asthma crash back early summer.

This pizza recipe was gifted from Miss Grace one of the most talented bakers I've ever shared kitchen time with. Over the years we've evolved the recipe and technique 2950 style and as The Homestead Engineer says "we've never had a bad pizza."

 I start with 1.5 cups whole wheat flour, 1.5 cups of white flour, and 1 tablespoon sugar. I've tried all whole wheat and it doesn't rise well and taste a bit lets say earthy... I buy all in bulk at an Amish grocery near Quarryville PA.

 To that I add 2 teaspoons of yeast. Easy now... I know you're thinking yeast has to be mixed with water... nope. Mixed into the dry mix it rises nicely and this allows me to make pizza kits that all I have to do is add warm water too. That way Homestead Engineer can whip up pizza whenever.

 It all gets "mix mixed" as RKR says with a dash of Italian Seasoning.

 Then you add enough warm water to make a nice doughy ball.

 Spray a metal bowl with cooking spray and then even the dough gets to worship the woodstove for a bit.

 After an hour or so youre ready to go! I made sundried tomatoes this summer and found the infused oil is great for oiling my pizza stone. Oiling with olive oil makes the bottom of your pizza crunchy. You can also make the dough and then freeze it and then in the morning get it out, spray your bowl and let it rise. It'll be ready to rock and roll come dinner time.

 Next, put a little oil on your hands and spread out your dough. This recipe makes 2 pizzas. This is the sauce I made crap tons of over the summer.

I buy mozerella and pepperoni in bulk at the discount grocery. When I'm free on time I love homeade mozerella, but in the words of Ina Garten "if you can't make locally sourced raw milk mozerella from range fed heritage breed dairy cattle, store bought will do."

Sorry there are no after pics... the lack of pictures speaks for the deliciousness of the outcome.

Pizza is on the menu rotation every weekend. I've also found it'super fun to do when we have company. Everyone gets a pie tin and we set up a toppings bar. My nephew raves about Pizza Parties here.

Try it out!  What's your favorite "take in not take out" recipe? I'd love to hear!

Yours in love, light, and woodstove warmth!
♡AVR

One Word...

Each new year brings ways we reflect on our lives and what we choose to do to move forward. For many it's a resolution or a list of resolutions. But for me a resolution tends to not be  stronger than devouring a batch of chocolate chip cookies in mid February that convinces me to bag the whole idea and shoot for next year.

So when RKR was born we began to choose a word. One word. A word that would be our focus for our pursuits that year. My 2015 and 2016 word was simplicity. I found I needed to let go of stuff (read shit,clutter, baggage) we moved furniture, friendships, and our family forward.

In 2016 I found a love of yoga. It helps my mind, my body, and my soul and I found I thrive on the temporary stillness. At the start of each yoga practice they ask that you set your intention.

So this inspired my 2017 word

This year will be about thoughtful choices. About refining my skill sets and being purposeful about my action and sometimes inaction. Yep I want to make inaction a thing this year!

I don't want to live a reactive life, but one where I'll hopefully embrace the "measure twice cut once" ideals of life.

We've each selected a word. For RKR her word was play. She said she wanted to play more this year. So I'll be cognizant of setting up more playdates this year, and bagging some to dos some Saturdays for a playground trip or 10!

RKR wanted LBR to learn this year. So I charged her with teaching her sister things. So far we've begun to master climbing on chairs, tables, and the sliding board so we're on our way!

The Homestead Engineer chose the word patience. He is a patient fella, but he said he recognizes he is less patient with strangers and outsiders than he'd like.

We display our words above the dining room table to help remind us and so we can discuss our progress throughout the year. They are crooked I see, but being intentional allows me to embrace what is.

Now that you know my word I hope you'll aid in my intentions to be intentional in 2017 ♡

In love, and light...

♡AVR ♡