December 6

Posted on | December 6, 2013 | 1 Comment

This moment: friends

Posted on | April 12, 2013 | 3 Comments

Tales of a wood stove:

Posted on | January 20, 2012 | 2 Comments

We purchased our dream home in April 2010 - an older home on private, wooded acreage.  Not everyones dream, by any means, but it fulfilled ours.  Along with it came a wood stove as a secondary source of heat, forced air being the primary.  We were so excited to start using it for many reasons - obviously economical reasons, but also the ambiance of having a wood stove in the home and having a large supply of fuel on our property.  Within about four months of living here, when we first started having fires, we decided to have a chimney sweeper come to clean it out.  Long story short: our lovely yet archaic woodstove was not to 'code' despite that never being mentioned in our initial inspection.  We accepted this and didn't fret; after all, we had a working source of heat for the winter months.

Fast forward nearly two years later, and we finally installed a properly working wood stove this past week.  It is absolutely amazing what a difference it has made: once we have a roaring fire in there, the house stays warm nearly all day (as opposed to our forced air which turned on every 20 minutes, and we always felt cold - definitely something that bothered me with the coming attraction into our lives!).

I've already put it to good use with a little inspiration of some friends - Wooly Moss Roots and Cold Antler Farm, to name just two.  Last night I experimented with an easy from scratch bread recipe, and I let it rise next to the stove overnight (the bowl with the towel covering it).  This morning I boiled a pot of water for raspberry leaf tea, and we have also been using a kettle to humidify the area.  Finally, tonight I hung a load of laundry to dry next to the stove.  I can just picture our cloth diapers hanging soon (is it weird I'm excited about that?)!

So there you go: one more puzzle piece of our little homestead (at least I like to call it that) complete.  Does anyone else have a wood stove - if so, please share ideas you use your wood stove for, I would love to hear!

December 15

Posted on | December 15, 2011 | 2 Comments

December 6, home

Posted on | December 6, 2011 | 1 Comment

Cheer

Posted on | December 1, 2011 | 2 Comments

Homesteading, a lifestyle of simple self-sufficiency. Aaah.

Posted on | March 8, 2011 | 3 Comments

The past seven days, I've slept at night.  Can you believe it?  Four years of handling emergencies at three am and hittin' the sack while others get their morning cup o' joe - it feels a bit surreal.  I haven't worked very many evening shifts due to my new ten hour shift position, so we will see how the new team works (obstetric nursing is big time into the team work of coworkers - it makes or breaks your shift) come this weekend.  Either way, I'm still sleeping next to the husb at night; and that alone is worth it.

In other news - we built the chicken coop over the weekend!  I took the ladies out for an hour yesterday to explore close to their soon to be home, and it was fantastic.  The once furry easter chicks are now teeangers raring to get out in the real world, their mother being just a ready (a dusty bathroom is not a happy one).  About three weeks and they will be fully feathered young adults.

Nothings gonna' change my world

Posted on | February 24, 2011 | 1 Comment

I woke up to a burning throat this am; a slow incineration overnight, a sad realization that mother's faith in airborne did not work.  However I am one of those folks that pretend their not sick when they truly are.  So today I cleaned the garage, the house, got groceries, and hit up the hardware store - all with my lovely of course.  He is my own personal cough medicine, after all.

This afternoon admist cleaning I perused the interweb.  I came across this quote in a fantastic blog - 'someday you will miss today.'  I stared at the computer screen with awe - so simple, yet so true.  I walked over to our dining room window, coffee in hand.  I caught a doe chomping on grass through the fresh powder than coated our property overnight.  I can't quite explain the peace I felt in that moment, knowing how true that quote surely is. 

I've always looked forward, yearning for what's next.  But today I realized - what's the harm in relishing the current affair of your life?  I can gaurantee I will miss today, someday. 

So to appreciate this someday memory, I trekked the property, taking in the supposed 'winter storm' of Western Oregon '11 (a whopping 3 inches that closed county schools, yo).

Too earnest?

Posted on | August 26, 2010 | No Comments

I've recently been perusing through my blog, wondering where the time has gone?  I cannot believe I've been writing here (albeit lazily) for over two years.  Yesterday I came across my 2010 New Years resolutions.  I was pleasantly surprised that I have followed through with all but one of these resolutions - I bought a home (I'd call that more than "get serious"), completely banned fast food from my diet (except one mishap when we were moving and all our food was in boxes), have learned to appreciate my body by running and challenging it to new endeavors, and I've obviously spent more time in nature.  I do realize those are not difficult resolutions, but I can still be proud, right?  The caffeine resolution is more of a week by week challenge, but my cup a' joe a day has remained steadfast and stubborn. 

So I thought I'd come up with a new challenge - my 'nearly 3/4 through the year' resolutions.  My challenge over the next four months:

• Be more "green" - I know, all the rave now, but I watched the documentary called 'No Impact Man' last week, and it inspired me to go a bit further. 
• I will drive more consciously (this week I've already increased my mpg from 24 to 28 just by driving less aggresively).   I wish I could get by without a vehicle but it's simply impossible living in the country.
• B just built me a compost bin - and I start composting as of tomorrow.  I'm going to aim for one bag of garbage a week.  Let's just hope it doesn't end up a stinky mess of ammonia mess with lab drool.  Pictures of this to come, I ensure you!
• Buying my food locally.  There are other ideas to this as well, but I should not bore you.  Interested?  Ideas?  comment away, please!
• I was going to say start cooking more, however B and I were just reminiscing about a time I screwed up spaghetti to the point that we had to microwave it so it was edible.  So I will revisit that idea next January.
• Coming to terms our fertility situation, despite where we're at by December.  I think the goal it just to not be so bitter. (Yeah, it deserves a larger font.)
• Eat a salad five days a week.  I hate salad, need I say more?
• Completing at least two projects on the house - preferably a deck and making the spare room an actual room.
• Working at yoga and meditation.  I've been really trying lately, however my mind is a screaming mess.  I will push forward, however.

Okay, I'd like to keep going but that's enough. Would anyone like to join me in this challenge?

Voilà!

Posted on | May 16, 2010 | 3 Comments

Exactly one month to the day that we got our keys, it is finally time to introduce our new hardwood (bamboo) floors in before/after shots. 

Note to self: marrying a man who in a previous life was a contractor = very wise idea. He can really rock a hammer.

Sneak Peek

Posted on | April 23, 2010 | 4 Comments

Snapshots of this chapter

Posted on | April 10, 2010 | No Comments

I went biking yesterday, taking in the color and scent of spring.  I equipped myself with my camera and a backpack, wanting to remember this day despite the awkwardness of a giant camera draped around me while steadily pedaling. 

Beautify!

Posted on | March 7, 2010 | 5 Comments

I had all these ideas for blog posts about decorating my new house... err, I mean the house we want and are currently in escrow for. You see, this house is thirty years old and absolutely begging for cosmetic work, all in time of course ($$$!). However admist my day dreaming I realized that this house could very well not go through for lord knows what reason. And here I am, planning my life away like I always do. Let's focus on the present, April.

So ladies and gents, I present you with my new blog layout. I made about five other collages for the header that I may take a vote on, or ask the hubs since my friends on here are quite lacking. Yes yes, I know I just renovated this place not too long ago, but I needed something to take my mind off of possibility. I am in control of this layout, you see, and it just feels right.

Thoughts?

Aimless

Posted on | February 18, 2010 | 4 Comments

What is it about reliving the past that is so exhilerating? Am I the only one that remembers smells and feelings of particular moments of my life, only to land back in reality confused as to how I got here? Is it my lovely days in Michigan (edit: the four nice months in Northern Michigan), or is it my current quest in unbelieveable Oregon? Sometimes I wonder which is really reality.

And yes, this house offer is a little cloud hovering. It has been 72 hours since the offer and B & I are on the edge of our seats. Waiting, & waiting.

But here's what I know: everything will and does happen for a reason. I am in this profession for a reason, and this house will go through if it is meant to be. My family is crazy for a reason (really?) and I am supposed to be out west.

Point of this post: life is weird.