Oh Yes...It's Fall

Been a bit quiet here the last few days. I have begun another "Big Push" (they come in surges really) in our moving out of - getting renters in (thank goodness we have good ones already lined up) and moving into the farmhouse fully...and by that I mean moving our workload into the basement to build walls and make our family room a real room. I'll spare you all the details, just thinking about it tires me. Goodness knows I have been working on this farmhouse all summer! Before, I couldn't see an end in sight, but I am starting to get a glimpse. And that makes me so very happy. I could never express in words how much my heart needs to be done moving, or moving houses that is. The whole month of June was spent completely re-doing and selling my parents rental property -we were lucky, it sold before we were finished. Working insanely hard there enabled us to purchase our farm. Since then, it has been a whirlwind of moving, pregnancy, renovating the farmhouse, losing my pregnancy (I say that like its something you can simply misplace -sigh) and back to our town house to ready for renters--what a summer it was. Honestly, I am glad it is over and we are starting a fresh season. And with that.....

As the sun is moving in its noticeable manner and the evenings are getting crisper here at the farm, my thoughts turn toward the cozy fall/winter to come. The first of this season to experience in our new home...


To welcome this change in season we gathered together with good friends and The Apples. Oh yes, the truckload of apples we picked earlier in the week for this very celebration...The Autumn Equinox. An event that began in the afternoon and flowed well into the evening. We had a few more hands at work this year then last...and thank goodness for that! This year's mark was 39 gallons of freshly pressed apple juice, we call it cider -but I don't think it really is.

Have you ever tried freshly pressed apple juice? Pure apple, dripping and sticky? Yum...

Throughout the day the grownups keep the press turning, everyone lends a hand at each job. The kids play a huge role, engaging themselves completely into the process. Friends working together, making memories that last a lifetime. And that's what its really about...

Salsa Fi Cation...

The Salsa Gods are happy with me...

Just My Cup Of Tea...

Red Raspberry Leaf Tea...that's where its at for me! A cup of this yummy tea starts and then ends my day. You'll find me pouring a few more cups in the afternoon as well, sometimes over ice. The tea kettle is almost always on and ready to pour out. My raspberry tea plays an active role in my healing and preparation for another pregnancy. An affirmation you could say. A way I can see, taste and touch my role in the healing process.

There is so much info out there on raspberry tea, it is hard to pick one source to link up. But, here you go, a link and little blurb on the great stuff:

Brewed as a tea or as an infusion, raspberry is the best known, most widely used, and safest of all uterine and pregnancy tonic herbs. It contains fragrine, an alkaloid which gives tone to the muscles of the pelvic region, including the uterus itself.

Most of the benefits ascribed to regular use of Raspberry tea through pregnancy are traced to the nourishing source of vitamins and minerals found in this plant and to the strengthening power of fragrine - an alkaloid which gives tone to the muscles of the pelvic region, including the uterus itself. Of special note are the rich concentration of vitamin C, the presence of vitamin E and the easily assimilated calcium and iron. Raspberry leaves also contain vitamins A and B complex and many minerals, including phosphorous and potassium.

The benefits of drinking a raspberry leaf brew before and throughout pregnancy include:

~ Increasing fertility in both men and women. Raspberry leaf is an excellent fertility herb when combined with Red Clover.

~ Preventing miscarriage and hemorrhage. Raspberry leaf tones the uterus and helps prevent miscarriage and postpartum hemorrhage from a relaxed or atonic uterus.

~ Easing of morning sickness. Many attest to raspberry leaves' gentle relief of nausea and stomach distress throughout pregnancy.

~ Reducing pain during labor and after birth. By toning the muscles used during labor and delivery, Raspberry leaf eliminates many of the reasons for a painful delivery and prolonged recovery. It does not, however, counter the pain of pelvic dilation.

~ Assisting in the production of plentiful breast milk. The high mineral content of Raspberry leaf assist in milk production, but its astringency may counter that for some women.

~ Providing a safe and speedy pariuntion. Raspberry leaf works to encourage the uterus to let go and function without tension. It does not strengthen contractions, but does allow the contracting uterus to work more effectively and so may make the birth easier and faster.

Now, where did I put my tea cup?

Apple Time!

It's that time again! In preparation for our annual Autumn Equinox Celebration, we headed down to the Canyon Orchard to pick our share of apples. This weekend, although I think we're a week early for the actual equinox, we will be spending a full day with close friends, pressing apples and processing them into cider. The day will also include some dutch oven cooking -yum! tasty beer and to end the celebration, a firepit...complete with Smores.

Sounds like good clean family fun to me. Thankfully, Lance will be in town to enjoy it too...

Stealing a Moment...

Sunday morning found me grabbing my coffee, book, journal, camera -of course- and headed out to the pasture for a little time alone. Some much needed quiet time that is very hard to carve out for myself these days. Stealing a moment for myself, almost hiding. Yet if anyone was truly looking for me they just had to turn the right corner. I simply slipped away into the morning light. A moment of silence is my ultimate savior...as always, really.

What I have found from my loss of pregnancy is this: Everyone around you forgets, except you. The glance of a beautiful-bellied prego woman quickly becomes a fresh cut of remembrance. Working through these emotions have proven difficult for me. I find myself falling into the dark waters of sad emotion and...feeling alone in my fight against depression. Finding a quiet moment saves me, enables me to acknowledge these emotions and let them float on by. This is definitely easier said than done.

And so, a quiet morning, alone with myself brings me back. And then, I hear my name being called out across the field...

On another, yet similar note, I won a give-away! Funny enough, it's all about cultivating emotional intelligence.

A Random Day...

A random day:
*Leave the house by 7:30am, takes an hour to get the girls to school. We have three different schools to arrive on time to ya know...

*Spend 30 minutes within that hour hanging with Roxie, waiting for her school doors to open. This is a favorite time for me. I drink my tea, knit, read, ramble with Roxie, make lists, etc...

*I run errands or do chores (like working at the townhouse) until it's time to pick up Roxie from kindergarten...

*Roxie and I head over to the townhouse and eat a picnic lunch by the pond, talk about her school day and what else is on the schedule for that day...

*After lunch, I start packing more and cleaning...wishing I were already done so I could be quilting...reminding myself that everything happens in its own time...

*I find Roxie asleep on the floor of her old bedroom, I smile and snap a photo...

*At 2:30pm it is time to round up the other two girls from school. Oh the traffic is crazy!

*I surprise the girls with much needed haircuts, which take about three hours to complete...nothing says starting a new season of life like a new hairdo. Wouldn't you agree?

*We head back home for homework, haircut pictures, dinner making and to bed on time so we can start another day bright and fresh...

And there you have a random day plucked out of my life -this past Wednesday to be exact- and shared with you.

Solar Drying...at Last

Oh how I have missed my old clothes-line -I've missed a whole summer of solar drying!

But now, I am happy to share there's a new line in the neighborhood! May very well be the only line in the 'hood...lets hope not.

Lisa Leonard Design...

Mail came...and I was so happy, my necklace had arrived. I like the way it feels, I like the small sound it makes when I walk, I hold it close to my heart .

Thank you Lisa Leonard Design...

And They're Off!

Another school year starts... This time around, things are spiced up a bit. Roxie is still at our favorite private school, as a kindergartner no less. Kaziah is in her first year as a 4th grader at a Performance Art charter school. This is a big deal for a little girl who has been in a private school setting, with about 11 students in the whole grade school. She must now navigate a 32 pupil class room. And then there is Ausha...starting the 7th grade...need I say more?

Where does that leave me this morning? Doing a few chores, wondering how my chicks are doing and also a new start of my new schedule...one that will enable me to finish moving my family out to the farm, get to sewing for an Etsy shop -after a bit of baby sewing first (I know I've talked about it a lot) and concentrate on my healing...which for me means keeping super busy, preparing for and looking forward to getting pregnant again.

Oh happy day.

I Was Craving...

A few weeks ago, when I was still prego and really craving some crab, my brother came back from the coast and delivered. Crab...mmmmm. He and his wife, Kate, also snagged ten salmon. That's right, ten.

My big brother Matt, also known as "The Fish Whisperer".

A New Light...

Going through the animal barns at the fair has always been one of
the highlights for me, aside from the food. Before, we looked at the animals as a far away dream. Yesterday however, the animals were seen in a new light. Watching the 4-H kids show their animals was exciting for the girls. A little more 'in their face' you could say. Made us all think about the farm animals in our near future...as now the far away dream is just a season and loafing barn cleaning away.

Corn Dog Please...

We're headed out the door to hit up the county fair. Farm animals, fair food and carnies...bring it on!

The Garden Calls Me back...

Love the garden...and the garden loves you back, twisted carrot style.

I have a load of tomatoes and hot peppers waiting for me to salsa-fi 'em up...and also a townhouse garden ready for another picking, so that is my agenda today -grabbing my red raspberry leaf tea and picking basket and heading into town to visit my neglected garden. We also have a small fire pit get-together with close friends in the works tonight...and I am so looking forward to their company. A perfect way to kick off our long weekend.

Cheers to all!

The Day After...

Feeling a calmness I haven't felt in weeks...feeling grateful for my absolutely fabulous doctor and kind nurses...feeling closer to my husband.

Not feeling angry...not feeling all is completely lost...not giving in to depression.

After questioning our decision many times over, I now know we did the right thing and am on the road to recovery.

Me coming to terms in surprising ways: Opening the package of fabric I ordered for the baby's blanket, which arrived yesterday after returning home from the hospital...enjoying the new Little Stitches for Little Ones, which also arrived yesterday...looking forward to the arrival of a beautiful necklace made by the talented Lisa Leonard, should be here any time. I've walked down the lane to check the mailbox twice today. This necklace represents the babe we have lost and I plan to never take it off.....

Hold the ones you love close to you...and live now.

This photo of Lance and I was taken before we knew the outcome of our pregnancy.

Meanwhile, Back at the Farm...

The first big project at the farmhouse was to install two egress windows in the basement. I, of course, am not surprised by the ability Lance has. He is simply amazing and did a fantastic job. This project needed to be done before all else, even before finishing our move out of the townhouse. Now that the windows are installed, I can do my part in taping, texture and paint. We still have a few speed-bumps that have come our way, but school starts next week and I know I will find time, or perhaps I should say a real schedule, to finish our move and also the farmhouse basement.

I have yet to share exactly what we are doing here on the farm property, but I plan to share our dream soon. I'll tell you this now, people either think we are crazy or love what we are planning. Intrigued? I hope so.