Urbana Tiger

Our fist big harvest of the summer garden. the garlic we found growing wild and have cultivated for the past 8 years now out of the ground. We hope that this years crop of Urbana Tiger will be traveling with us north to be planted in a new home in Wisconsin.

Ben and I found this garlic our first year planting at Meadowbrook's Organic Gardens, we never imagined at that time we would spend nine summers in this wonderful, small town.

I am a bit lost for words these days, so pictures it will be.

These Days

I am really enjoying the deliberate way my youngest is with his art. As his older brother never seems to stop moving and turns any art supply he gets his hands on into some animal the idea that young kids spend more than 5 minutes coloring or painting is new. River is an incredibly intentional kid. He thinks before he does, attempts to color in the lines, or paint shapes.

We are loving these summer days, strolling along at this slower rhythm that has us enjoying our immediate environment so much. Lots of time splashing in water, digging in the sand, and painting sprinkled with minutes spent in the blazing sun harvesting berries.

I really can't remember a more pleasant beginning to the summer. The shade of our yard is much appreciated. As a family we are trying to remember to focus on our days and the right now. With a possible move and uproot we are having a hard time not being consumed with the what is to be. Luckily we have two members of the family here to remind us to live everyday with intention and living in the present moment.

Brothers

These two are so busy together and it is a gift for me to witness. I love that they are quickly becoming each others favorite playmate.

Vacation Rocks

Now we are home, resettling, regrouping and reevaluating.

Happy Summer!

Tee Time

Our boy, hitting the ball. He doesn't have all the hand eye coordination for pitching and it was getting frustrating. A small piece of PVC pipe to the rescue and we instantly had a tee. I think this is a step up from our last wiffle ball adventure of the ball hanging from a string.

Now the ball goes somewhere to be chased. This creative little boy of mine transformed that ball into an airplane and hit us travelers to any destination he could choose from. I really need to brush up on some facts as everywhere we went he needed to know what animals live there, I am happy that he was able to fill in for me when I stumbled to find an answer.

My favorite Asher moment of the day, Me: I could really use a quiet moment. A: I have too many questions running in my head, I can't possibly be quiet right now. Point taken. Here's to hoping I can lead him to find the answers he craves.

Life Changing

Big changes and decisions happening around here.

Emerging

We were very lucky in this past week to witness really nothing short of a miracle, a cocoon made from the leaves of our currants opening up slightly, a moth emerging, spreading it's wings and letting them dry and then finding a place to hide until the cover of night when it then left our yard.

The boys were enthralled and kept running back to look at it. Really such a cool thing.

For the Floor

While this project has taken a new shape from my original plans, I am quite pleased with the results. My original balls of "yarn" that I made were used up quickly, crocheting really takes up a lot of material. So quickly I hit the thrift stores for sheets and the boys and I made more strips.

So excited for this to be under my feet. I think we may need a few more sheets to finish it off, but it can be used in the meantime.

A few things about what seems to work best with crocheting rugs. First the Vintage Chica has a tutorial here. Thought it is a little vague I was able to make mine with these loose guidelines. I think you should make the fabric yarn the way this tutorial shows you too. Just cutting left bigger bumps than I liked as VC recommends. If you would like more instruction, Five Green Acres has a pattern available for download.

Plant Propogating!

As we prepare to uproot, all of the work we have done in our yard, isn't something that we want to just leave behind. So in an attempt to save money buying all new fruit shrubs, I decided to try my hand at propagation with rooting hormone. If there is any saving grace to all the rain and gray, making new plants was it for me. Starting with my vibrantly growing plants (gooseberry, jostaberry, black and raspberry and currants) I cut growing tips, stripped off the bottom 4-8 inches of leaves, dipped them in water and then rooting hormone, making sure to get the hormone on all of the nodes where I removed leaves.
and then simply stuck them in the ground.My little helper watered them in as did all the rain over the past three weeks. (old yogurt containers with holes punched into the bottom are awesome watering vessels for little kids.

And now, well they don't look dead, so fingers crossed that they make it, and when we find a new place to put them they are thriving and ready for a move.

Cucumber Tunnel

Which currently has peas growing up it for the early season. I realize I post about our cucumber tunnel most summers as Asher has declared himself a cucumber farmer and spends a lot of time in this particular spot in our garden. This year I thought I would post how we actually make it. PVC cut and stuck in the ground, drilled with holes for string to run through (more necessary for the peas).

Make a wire frame, I think we found some concrete reinforcing wire somewhere and held onto it, bent it to shape, cut is a bit and stick the ends into the PVC.

The peas will grow and be taken out as the cucumbers are putting down roots and their first shoots. In years past, we have also grown nasturtiums with the cucumbers and they are a nice ground cover, sprawling out while the cucumbers grow up.

I Heart Needle Felting

Thanks to Rachel over at Clean, I was motivated to make some eggs for an egg hunt that will take place next year. I am a little slow and Easter isn't really our celebration, but spring sure is. And all of the Easter traditions I grew up with I would like to share with my boys, just a little differently and in a way we are still figuring out. Nonetheless, I love needle felting. The more I do, the more I am amazed that I can easily draw with wool. River pointed to birds, helped pick out the colors and loved observing. I used some scraps of wool sweaters that were turned into crowns. There is a hole cut in the back to place a small treasure for the finder.

I see these working their way into something for our celebrations in the years to come, because as typical to my own traditions, I don't often finish things on time.

Around Home

Life is good and busy, with the rush of warmer weather in April we were anxious to get out to all or our favorite outdoor parks around town. It was wonderful, riding our bikes all over town, climbing all the trees we met last fall and reacquainting ourselves with the quickest and safest (for the balance biking boy) routes to the parks.

Now we have been focusing on enjoying our own piece of the earth. Making obstacle courses over our log piles.

Dining outside, hopefully more often with friends now that our hibernation is over.
Getting our hands dirty in the garden.
SUN TEA!! We have been having a battle with the boys warm beverages in the morning, as more of it has ended on the floor, but they felt bad not being included in my ritual, and luckily sun tea has filled the place. Hisbiscus sun tea is the best, sweetened with honey before chilling.
My boys "painting" the patio, Asher actually told me this was his artwork.
Ferns poached and potted up. I love all the shades of green that I can view from our patio.
And this face:

Wet

We are still here, still enjoying life and happy that the wet that dominated last month is behind us a bit. I will be back in this space more this week with projects and things that have been keeping us busy.

We were happy that the woods fulfilled all of our puddle needs and mud needs of the season,

And forgotten potting soil tubs have fulfilled all of our mud making needs.