Bears in Our Backyard
Posted by Danielle Bean in Just me on Friday, June 17, 2011
Living in a rural area can be an adventure. Some of our encounters with local wildlife are fun—like the times when we spot moose or deer in our field.
But the black bears? I’d rather not entertain them.
Here’s what one of those bad bad bad animals did to our chicken coop last night. The door latches closed and the chickens were put away for the night, so the bear needed to tear open the door before... READ MORE
Fun in a Basket
Posted by DariaSockey in Food on Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Summer time is picnic time, and not just the kind where you throw some sandwiches and drink boxes in a bag for an afternoon at the local park.
It’s also time for potluck picnics at Church, or family reunions, or block parties. The kind where someone says, “Are you bringing that special pasta salad or yours?” or maybe, “I hope you’re making your famous baked beans again—no one else’s tastes as good as yours.” Or perhaps, “if you’re bringing your lemon pie, I’ll be first in line to grab some before it’s all gone.”
Do you have a special picnic food that goes fast at summer gatherings? A super salad? A mouth-watering main course? A savory side dish? A delectable dessert?
If you are willing to share the secret formula for your wonderful creation, please do so in comments!
Spring Fever
Posted by Robyn Lee in Just me on Friday, June 03, 2011
I love Spring. Not the Winter thaw muddy mess, but the late May early June loveliness. For me, this is the perfect time.
I love eating dinner outside. I can smell the neighbors grilling burgers, which makes me turn on my grill because ... what a good idea!
I love that it is light out in the early morning and I love that it is light out until 9 p.m.
I love getting outdoors! Springtime is when we... READ MORE
Spring, Spring, Spring!
Posted by Rachel Balducci in Family on Thursday, February 17, 2011
The first day of Spring is still a month away, but around here I can tell we’re moving past winter.
For almost a week now, I’ve taken the little ones on a walk every afternoon. It feels fantastic to be outside, to have the sunshine beating down on my skin, to be outdoors without a foot of layers protecting me from the weather.
This Monday, we had a school holiday. To celebrate, I loaded up my crew... READ MORE
Into the Woods
Posted by Rachel Balducci in Family on Friday, January 28, 2011
We are going to have temperatures in the 60s this weekend and I am so eager to get outdoors. Doesn’t everything just seem better after time in God’s creation?
Here is a favorite quote from Henry David Thoreau:
“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover... READ MORE
Filling Buckets
Posted by Arwen Mosher in Food on Tuesday, August 03, 2010
We go apple-picking in the fall, and when I was a kid my family went cherry-picking every summer as well.
But I’d never been blueberry picking before, until last week.
Blueberries for Sal was one of my favorite books at a little girl. Do you know it? Little Sal and her mother go blueberry picking on a hill in rural Maine, and get “all mixed up” with a mother bear and her cub. It all ends well, of... READ MORE
Getting Our Hands Dirty
Posted by Danielle Bean in Homemaking on Monday, May 17, 2010
Juliette and I picked up some plants yesterday and now my hard-working 10-year-old is putting my abandoned poor, pathetic herb garden to good use.
She is putting some herbs in there, for sure. But this girl opts for “decorative” gardening a lot more than her mother ever did. Even back when I kept up this small spot, I used to keep it filled with stuff I could use to season focaccia bread.
Gardening... READ MORE
Dirt-Eating Kids
Posted by Arwen Mosher in Family on Monday, May 03, 2010
My husband emailed his mother some photos from our weekend gardening session, including the one on the left.
She wrote back: “Blaise is a very different child from his father! You hated getting in the dirt.”
By all accounts, Bryan and I were similarly fastidious as children. My own mother says that she never had to chase me down to wipe off my sticky hands; in fact, I would come to her and request... READ MORE
Off to a Good Start
Posted by Danielle Bean in Family on Wednesday, April 21, 2010
I had to smile this morning when I saw this chart where the Gabby and her younger brothers are tallying their catches for the day.
So far, just one salamander ... but the day is still young and, as you can see, their goals are lofty.
These early days of spring are a temptation to me every year. It’s hard to stay focused on school work and indoor chores when a fresh, warm world beckons from every window... READ MORE
Tick Talk
Posted by Danielle Bean in Health on Wednesday, April 07, 2010
The ticks are back.
I’ve picked a few off of the kids so far this season, and already I feel myself itching all over.
I have always considered ticks a nuisance. A pretty gross one at that. Living so close to the woods like we do, we see quite a number of them each year. Really, though, I always thought of them as just a nuisance.
But this past January, my 6-year-old Gabrielle was diagnosed with Lyme disease.... READ MORE
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