EKjourney Backup

I had a somewhat sudden inspiration to school the first 2 days of our official week long Thanksgiving break and instead bank those 2 vacation days to use elsewhere.  Since Phil had 2, 12 hour days, I thought it might be fun to do a big Thanksgiving Themed unit.   I worked throughout the week putting together ideas and making lesson plans and copies.  We did a super duper deep clean upstairs and just a thorough clean downstairs (ran out of time) over the weekend and I set up the little homeschool room to accommodate an extra 5 kids (plus Lucas who had his own kiddie table and play space in the next room) and we invited our friends the Mulkeys to join us.   It was just what I had hoped...very organized and structured (LOL, yes, this is the first thing I listed), lots of learning, fun, laughter, running, playing, jam packed with activities, sharing, and of course snacking.  (And only 7 out of the 11 kids cried the first day.....though to be fair there was...

What a lovely lovely November.  It has been unseasonably dry which has allowed for a lot of outside work.  Sunny skies make those shortened days feel a little brighter.  Early evening Beautiful mornings This dog!  She loves the heater. I bought myself a little treat!  I like knowing the names of the things I have growing in my garden and I haven't had much luck with labels, the writing fades, they get brittle and break, and the ducks yank them out of the ground (no, seriously!).  So, I bought this leather notebook and dividers so I could catalogue what I have.  We had our Thanksgiving group recital for music.  For some reason, I wound up playing the recorder alongside my children.  For the record, I don't play the recorder and I don't do very well under pressure.  It was put together a bit last minute and I practiced for hours, learning the notes, learning the song, and then learning how to play alongside the children (which is very dist...

I could not ask for a more perfect weekend to start my 45th year.  It was warm, sunny, and I got to spend much of it out in the garden. I undertook quite the project this Fall putting the garden to sleep for the winter.  First, I redid the North bed, Phil helped me put some boulders along the back and then I dug out every plant, and leveled it with dirt, replanted, and then mulched.  Second, I redid the little garden by the front door, adding a focal plant and some color.  Third, I redid the bed below.  I have always disliked the way the bed was lower than the grassline, so I dug everything out and added dirt until it was slightly mounded.  I replanted (shown below) and mulched it in.  Then, Phil helped me tackle the dry bed.  I so enjoyed this bed last year.  There was something blooming all summer long and it is such a fragrant bed with a sage, lavender, and agastache (hyssop).  I kept finding such lovely little plants to add that it w...

Somewhere in the middle of all this...I turned 45! I could not ask for a more perfect day.  A clear beautiful November with warm sunshine.  Phil taking a day off a work.  A quick jaunt up to Portland to go to nurseries with my mom, Tina, and Kathy.  New plants!  A nap.  A coffee stand date.  Everyone working together in the garden.  Homemade gifts and cards.  Thai food.  A family movie. "Mom, is this how you set the table in the olden days?" And then there was the need to rent an industrial "snake" to unclog the drainage to the septic. It frosted no where else except my little valley, my paradise!  I told Phil again today, I can't believe I get to live here and see this every day.  How can this be real?  Bury me in the little cemetery on the hill, with the tall trees, and the headstones that illuminate in the setting sun just enough that I can spot them from my porch, so my body can be near to this place that I love. Well,...

We had a beautiful week of mid to upper 60's so we took 3 days off of school to work in the yard.  I just love being outside on my farm!  At piano lessons Trying to squeeze out the last of the dinner on the porch days...it is a little too dark and a little to cold.  I am looking forward to warm Spring weather all ready! My mom gave me a bunch of raspberry starts so I measured out the bed and Phil worked by car lights to get it all rototilled for me.  I made 3 raised beds, planted, and mulched. While I worked on the raspberry beds, these (perhaps not so little) people were bribed with ice cream to weed and pull up the hog's fuel.  I can get pretty good work out of them with the promise of a treat! I got some more fill dirt.  We have hauled who knows how much free dirt to make our raised beds and unfortunately, we have dried up all our sources.  I had to buy dirt but I bought cheap fill dirt that had a lot of rocks in it. I completely redid this bed....