sugar & pepper

memorable items for happy days wishlist

Upcoming for our little family are so very many celebratory opportunities. Parties? yes. Presents? yes. People we love gathering round? yes. In order to make this a bit...easier for (most) all concerned, I've put together a little wishlist:

rose petal earrings: Branch

Canon EF 50mm f1.4 lens: Amazon

Ivory Lola slip: Erica Tanov

Iphone Case: Grove

Yes, I want one: Apple
I was holding out on my opinion of this and whether or not I needed/wanted it. I have been unhappily using a Blackberry for two years and it is just awful. The ease with which you can use the Iphone is phenomenal...anyway. I am adding this to my list~there will be flaws in it, I'm sure. But I am also fairly sure I'll have fun using it anyway!

This will help me to prepare for my *next* big birthday wish gift: Paris! French 1,2,3: Rosetta Stone

Truthfully there are only a few of you who might find this helpful and more truthfully, it is all about me. Just for now~If you have a wishlist for any upcoming celebratory opportunity, please do share. It will make me feel less guilty in my boldness~and easier for me when that next celebration rolls around~

the truth is

It has come to my attention that we have been parading around town as regular folks, working hard, trying to fit in and make our way. Along the way, however, some things have changed and it's time to come clean about this.

We have chickens

We go out and about on our day with chickenstuff on the bottom of our shoes

We have dirt under our fingernails and in the creases of our hands

We have geese

We are known by face and name at the nearest feed store

We have sunburns on the backs of our necks

Our backyard sometimes has more flies than it probably should

We have bees

There are always going to be straw bale remnants in the back of my car no matter how many quarters I spend on the giant vacuum at the gas station

The truth is: We are farmers. I don't know if others in the world would think of us as farmers, but when you have so many of the (endearing) qualities listed above, regardless of the fact that we are not farmers on more than 100 acres, we are still farmers. We have yet to purchase matching overalls but we do all own a sturdy pair of mud boots. We are having fun, we are working hard, and best of all, we are enjoying and sharing the fruits of our labor~daily!

Life, captured in a new way

Way back when Big sister was just a wee babe, I bought a nice camera and a nice lens. I have been very happy with both and along the way taken many photos, watched the baby grow and have added to my list of important people to photograph. Along the way I switched over to a Canon EOS Rebel digital and have been very happy with its functionality.

Since we do have so much to keep track of and the very nature of blogging helps take care of this, it was time to investigate what a different lens would do, for the record keeping and the visual aspects of blogging. I checked out the books and the information here and talked with my sweet friend Anise who suggested I try BorrowLenses.com. I made arrangements to borrow this lens for a week and here are some photos to show what I saw.

big sister investing in some mint chip

 

Multi-tasking, weekend version

 

sewing bits & bobs: Jess Brown/Maude

 

this girl is ready for adventure! Jess Brown/Maude

 

darling swimsuit ready for sun: Maude

 

Papa: facing the facts

 

Farmers market

The lens itself was so...helpful. I was told that it is mainly used as a studio lens and yet upon discovery, I found that it used to be the standard lens for every film/SLR camera sold. Once the photo shops realized they could make a bit more more money selling a zoom lens of a sort than this standard lens, sales and use fell out of practice. I appreciated several things about this lens:

*It grabs light, just like they say it does. In lighting situations where you'd normally be forced to pop the flash, it doesn't need it. This alone changes the whole look and feel of most of the photos I took. I even took several of the same shots in the backyard and the lighting is just so much more "real" with this lens.

*It forced me to "get into" the photo I wanted to take. No more standing on the sidelines and snapping away at whatever the zoom lens would grab. I had to get in there and work for the shot, which created better views and angles, better framing and better photos.

*It weighs less and is easier to carry~both are important factors when chasing two littles around town, eating ice cream and rescuing my favorite hat from near destruction.

All of these are reasons this lens will end up on my upcoming birthday wishlist and hopefully on my camera!

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

spring refresher

Well, you are only going to get photos of the hair part of this story, as I am still hard at work on the rest of...me :) I've joined a group exercise class and although it is not hurting afterwards, it is certainly VERY intense during. The good news is that you can see & feel results quickly and the other good news (I'm working hard to spin this in a positive way) is that we are having loads of terrible weather~more time to get in shape before sunning (with spf 50) poolside while big sister does swim lessons. In addition, Mom always says that you start losing muscle mass in your 30's so I figure it was high time to get those muscles massed. Thanks, mom! 

Anyway, enough about that. I also got my hair cut! I really hemmed and hawed about this and then realized that I should just bite the bullet and make it happen. I woke up early one Saturday morning, everyone else still asleep. I crept in to the bathroom, ponytailed my hair and cut off the rest. Easy!
It looked great~other than a few scraggly hairs~so I lived with it for a few days until I could get a "real" hair cut. The real cut took off a few more inches~which I was ready for~and now I have this:

In these two photos, it is the mirror that is doing the funny tricks, not the camera~We have a funky old mirror and needless to say, it's not the best thing to use for a self portrait. Anyhow, you get the idea. Here's another:

I really love this cut. It is very easy to take care of and works really well with the natural curl that I have. I am so glad I just went for it~And now I think I can just let it grow and do less maintenance than before!

go west, young goslings

photo by Owlmonkey

After 36 hours of travel by plane, train and truck, our 7 Sebastopol Geese arrived today. I was hoping that they would come on Thursday, as they left Missouri by plane at 1pm on Wednesday in the midst of flash floods, thunder and lightning. We got the call at 5:45am that the birds had landed at the nearby post office. It being a school day, I had to get the little humans out the door before I could fetch the webbed foots and usher them in the door. So we waited (while rushing around and off to the school bus) while the little goslings traveled across town to the post office across the street from our home. I got another call at 8 am to tell me they had arrived and so into the wagon went baby sister and back home we came with our box of 7.

After putting together their vitamin water (and added nutritional benefit of freshly chopped greens) I foolishly put this mix into a square shaped dish~perfect for playing in! Ahoy, they said, and jumped in, taking turns and frolicking to their little hearts' delight.

All was fun and games until they started shivering. Badly. In came the birds, out came the hair dryer. They patiently padded around while I set the hair dryer to low and gently massaged their chests and bums to get them back to fluffy. Now, settled into their house inside our house, they are happy. And warm and dry.

Note to new gosling owners: "They" are all going to tell you to give the babies water in a "container which allows them to put their whole beak into (not a chicken waterer) and yet one which they cannot play in." Well, call me a fool, but after 30 minutes of hard thinking, I couldn't think of or find a container which would do this. Enter BackyardChickens.com.

A post had been answered and one persons brilliant answer to this problem: A one gallon milk jug with a hole cut into the side. High enough for the container to hold water and low enough for them to reach into it. Large enough for their head, small enough to keep out their downy bums. Perfection.

It is the small things in life that make such a difference. And now, with our new seven and their one wonderful waterer, we are all well and happy. And dry.

photo by Owlmonkey

{this moment}

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. post idea via soulemama

somehow I made it through

My own personal earthquake hit on April 17, 2009. From out of nowhere and without reasons I could measurably put my arms around, I lost my job. Rather, I was fired. Again, no reasons and no history of not playing well with others. Like an earthquake, this shook me to my core and rocked me again and again and again.  Nothing like this had ever happened to me before and I can only hope that it never does again. I was taken by surprise, shaken, rattled, stirred and then left to fend for myself.

Fortunately I did not have to fend for myself. I have a wonderful support network who came in, dusted me off, brought me food and generally set things back to order in my house and life. And then came a real house to purchase, a wedding to joy in and visits to relatives to comfort us all.

It has not been easy, this past year. Yet we have all made it through. Sleepless nights~we each have our own reasons~have encumbered us and sunless days have seemed the new natural. Here we are now, however, one year later. Better fed, better rested and I should say for myself at least, better off for having been through the disaster.

The years teach what the days never knew, I once heard. And we've got so many of those beautiful hopeful years in front of us, makes it easier to not look back though the experience has settled into our bones and given us a strength we didn't know we had.

{this moment}

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. post idea via soulemama

open open open: hello, deer

You know who you are. You are going through some things. Good days, bad days~they are all going to hit you and pretty much full force. Like football without the pads & helmet.

You are strong and beautiful and kind. Life will be good to you and your intuition will speak to you. Let it be heard, my friend. Open your heart, open your mind, open your strong, strong shoulders to hold what the world brings to you this and every day. Above all, be well and take care of yourself. This is hard but you can do it.

I know this because we are one of many here supporting you and we'll help you along or carry along or feed you along the way~whatever it takes. You've got our back.

Now go out there and kick some ass. I'll wait here with cake and wine~come over whenever you need (more). We'll listen to some music and let the world pass us by. It will be good.