I can't believe it

I just frittered away an hour doing two things:

1) Paging through the "old school" pictures of an elementary school classmate on Facebook. Not even a friend, folks - we just rode the same bus and lived in the same neighborhood. AND, I'm not even friends with her on Facebook. I accidentally bumped into her name through another persons's page. The pictures were junior high/high school, well after I had moved to an entirely different school district and town. I recognized a lot of people, though. Weird.

2) Spitting all over my computer screen chortling over this site: Awkward Family Photos. Go down to the bottom and hit "Older Posts" - that's where the good stuff is. This is the page that created the most spittle to clean up, though the cat skeleton is the weirdest. Wow.

Mishmash

• Truen got his cast off today - his little right leg was furry, scaly, and softer and smaller than his left leg. Saaaaad. But he's walking, a bit. With a limp. All in due time...
• There was a Public Hearing for our Small Town's proposed library project - and the townsfolk were 100% in favor of it. There wasn't one naysayer. Yesssssss.
• Ohhhhhh . . . perhaps I forgot to tell you? A building in town was donated to the city for the library. They are moving ahead with the application, have hired an architect, and we will be getting a new library. Not if, but when. Maybe by next spring? Less than a year and a half after we formed our Friends group! Yesssssssss - high-five!
• I stopped reading through Wendell Berry's Agrarian Essays about half-way through. It wasn't that I wasn't interested, but because the writing is so meaty and it spurred so much contemplation. As spring has picked up the speed of life, I just didn't have the time or umph to keep on. I'll pick it up again when I have the time to give it the attention it deserves.
• Meanwhile, on to something a little more easily digested - The Dirt on Clean: And Unsanitized History by Katherine Ashenburg
• I realize how hysterical this may seem to some people . . . this is my relaxing reading?? Oh, but it is! It feeds my insatiable curiosity and reads like a breeze.
• Don't you think the history of personal hygiene sounds fascinating...?

Here Come the ABCs

Diego self-initiated a spontaneous interest in drawing letters this week. (He's 4.5) We were coloring with sidewalk chalk with the cousins on Wednesday, and he drew an "X", "T" and "i".

"Look! I drew letters, Mama!" he said.

Later that night, at home, he picked out the exact same letters from our refrigerator magnets to show Squeeze what he had drawn that day. Again, all on his own, though the only letter he could verbally identify was the "T".

The next day, he drew "X", "T", "M" and "P". When I asked him what each letter was, "X" was "H", "M" was "K", "T" was correct again, and "P" was "Little D". I thought that was particularly interesting, as "P" truly is a flipped "d". I wonder if that was actually connected in his mind...? Perhaps subconsciously.

He still can't say his alphabet (I don't drill him on it), but I think I'm going to have some copy work ready for him when he is feeling inspired. We did a little bit of it yesterday and his favorite letters were "A", "I", "H", "X", "T" and "P". He tried "C" too, only it was square-ish and backwards, which he was disappointed about.

It is so fun to see the beginnings of reading readiness showing up . . . and so spontaneously, too.

Gadding about

After almost a week of gallivanting and visiting with family and friends, Diego said it best last night as he ran inside to go potty.

"I am glad to be at my house," he said, so happily. Part of the pleasure in that statement for me is that he spent a good chunk of time in woe before we left, sad to say goodbye to his "beautiful cousins".

But yes, it feels very good to be home --
Though visiting is so fun. Love it.

At Lyndi's house in St. Paul with Uncle Brent --

Schlepping across the sidewalk in his new roller skates,

Thrifted. He was so excited about them!

With Great-Grands O.,

and a Great-Aunt and Uncle,

and a Great-Great Aunt

who couldn't wait to get home to feed the cats.

Brent snuggling with Gram O.

Sidewalk chalk with some of the cousins.

Truen had me write,
"Grandpa, Grandma, I love you."

He's a cautious one

As I was reading The Marvelous Journey Through the Night aloud to Truen this morning, a book about sleepy-time dreams, a particular portion of the illustrations really stuck out to him.

He pointed to it and said, "Dat guy walking over da house! Dat's daaaaaaangerous."

So it's true: they must be born that way.

News, Part II

I forgot . . . I left something out.

• Does everyone know that one of our future goals is to operate a CSA...? Still a few years out, but definitely something we are working towards.
• With that in mind, this summer we are experimenting with two local ginea pigs: a family and an individual, both interested in subscribing to that weekly box of fresh produce, at rock-bottom prices. We need some practice and figured it was a good idea to start out small...really small. I'll be making my weekly delivery on Wednesdays: Library Day.

News from the homestead

• Our garden is half-planted (we are 18 days ahead of last year): peas, kale, cabbage, spinach, leeks, lettuce, two rows of potatoes, a new asparagus bed, etc.
• We have been harvesting parsnips and salsify that we wintered over in the ground - perfect timing, because just ran out of root-cellared carrots last month.
• We are getting around 18 eggs a day.
• The chickens are running free again, which cuts down on feed costs; and this year, Squeeze put up 3 foot chicken wire around the perimeter of our flower/herb gardens to keep them from digging (and destruction). Amazingly, this is working.
• We are going to have a "West Garden" in addition to our existing garden, now known as the "East Garden".
• West Garden = sweet corn, pumpkins, squash, watermelon, musk melon, potatoes, pole beans
• East Garden = carrots, radish, cabbage, broccoli, kale, chard, potatoes, parsnips, salsify, peppers, tomatoes, peas, bush beans, lettuce, horseradish, sunflowers, celery, okra, decorative corn, tomatillos, eggplant, leeks, onions
• We are taking back the perimeter of our property from the corn/soybean commodity crop rotation and plant it with native grasses and flowers. We took back the "Front Four" acres last growing season, which our neighbor planted with alfalfa - a three year commitment.
• Those pesky rabbits killed more of our fruit trees - a couple of apples and a plum. The snow was so high that they were able to get over the barrier and chew almost all the bark off around several saplings. Squeeze is going to encase them in chicken wire to their very tips this year: evidently, 4 feet wasn't high enough in an extra-snowy winter. Doh!

A Special Truen Update:

• He is scooting, rolling around, getting up and off of furniture, climbing stairs, crawling, doing somersaults, and going down the slide - I would say it is safe to conclude that his pain has desisted. Thankfully.
• We go into the Orthopedic Surgeon again this Thursday afternoon for a check-up. I'm sure they will do another x-ray and assess the situation. At the last check-up, they cut his cast on the side and put in a wedge to move the break to a 4 degree angle (previously healing at a 9 degree angle).
• If all goes according to the forecasted plan, Tru-babes should have his cast off in a week or so. I can. not. wait.
• Based off the stories from my 5 yo nephew, who broke his leg in the same spot in January, it may take awhile for him to ease back into walking. They said there was a lot of cramping at first and it took awhile for him to gain the strength and courage to try walking again. It makes sense . . . those muscles aren't getting used inside the cast. Our nephew is still limping in April - not because it hurts, but because his leg is weak. He was in his cast for 7 weeks, though, and his break was worse; I'm really hoping we can drop Truen's cast like a hot rock at 4 weeks. Maybe our transition will be easier? I can only hope. I want this over with.

Be My Wife

I adore David Bowie. Be My Wife is one of my favorite songs, off my favorite album, Low, cut my favorite year, 1977. And, in addition to all the other venerated things about Bowie, I really enjoy his theatrics. And pizzaz. And smarts. He's the package deal.

The title of my last post reminded me of this song for obvious reasons.

Be my wife

This afternoon, Diego cried piteously over the fact that he cannot marry me when he grows up. "But I want you to be my wife!" he wailed. "You are the most beautiful!"

The poor little guy. I remember a similar conversation very well, around the age of five, with my own father. My dad was tucking me into bed for the night and explaining why he couldn't marry me, because he already was married to my mom. I remember it boggled my mind at the time. How could I not marry my dad? He was the best!

The feelings were that of the desire to be with him, and my parents, forever. Taken care of. Safe. Loved. Not that I could have explained that then. But I can so easily remember those emotions, and the feeling of being a little scared that I couldn't marry my dad when I grew up. What else was there?

And that is exactly what Diego displayed this afternoon. "I don't want anyone else!" he bawled. "I want you!"

And you know, it makes me feel a little sad too. It is hard to remember that it won't "always be like this". Life changes gradually, and I know it is and feels normal, but trying to imagine that change now hurts.

I am reminded of the time when Diego was two months old, when I sat in our room, holding my beautiful baby, and wept miserably - grieving over the horrible truth that he would never be two months old again. So silly, I know, but my throat hurts and my eyes smart just thinking of it.

My mom has said something to the effect of, "You love them all along the way." Love grows and changes with them. I love Diego just as fiercely and affectionately as I did when he was a baby, only he is four years old now.

An earnest little four year old who wants to marry his mama.

I love him so much, it hurts. ♥

Way more demanding than usual

Just checking in to say --

Having a 2.5 year old with a broken leg is a lot like having a baby again, only this baby is enormous, cranky, and knows what he's missing out on.

He has also slipped back into long-gone nasty habits, like waking me up all night long demanding to nurse, then howling angrily when he doesn't get what he wants. Bah! It's terrible.

I should say, though, that little Truen is doing very well overall. His pain is nearly non-existent and he is starting to move around - stand, scoot, roll-over, etc. He plays with his toys with equal exuberance from his little stool next to the loveseat as if he were standing at the play-table.

That being said, I can't wait until things are back to normal.

Unbelievable, I know

For the record, two year olds can break bones. Yup. And yikes.

Truen and Diego were happily wrestling and playing around on Thursday night when a push from big brother caused a rotational fracture on his front-right shinbone - the tibia. Oy. It was terrible.

I could tell right away that it wasn't a "normal" injury. He wasn't recovering well and couldn't stop crying and holding his little leg or get comfortable. I wrapped him in a blanket, put ice on it, and consulted my copy of Naturally Healthy Babies and Children. It didn't take long to make the decision to bring him in - and for that, I am very thankful.

The doctor put a splint on in the ER that first night, which was extremely painful for Truen as you can well imagine. It was hard to see him in that much pain. We then reported to the Orthopedic Surgeon, for more x-rays and the cast, at 8:30 AM the next morning after approximately two hours of sleep. More pain, lots of hollering.

ER: After the splint

Sweet comfort

It felt so good to see his beautiful smile today --
It had been mostly grimaces, pensive staring, and/or
whimpering and crying since Thursday night,
the poor baby.

He is doing much better today, thankfully; which leaves me feeling optimistic for tomorrow. His pain has lessened and he is acting more like himself. (I've missed him!) The Orthopedic Surgeon we saw expected he would be scooting around within the week. "They heal so fast at this age," he said.

He will be in the cast for about a month. It is purple, his favorite color, though you can't see it in the picture. The doc cut the sides to leave room for swelling and wrapped it up with an ace bandage. We go back next Thursday for a check-up and the re-finishing of the cast.

This is definitely one thing I thought I'd never deal with. Or, at least, not this early in the game.

Un-un-un-un

Dreamt For Light Years In the Belly of a Mountain

My brother and SIL introduced this song to me just this week...and I think I might be obsessed. I have had it on repeat all morning; I am lulled, soothed, contemplative, and mournful all at the same time.

If you have 10 minutes to sit and stare, by all means...please do.

A remedy for pink eye

We just finished with a stint of conjunctivitis. I am so pleased to report that we eradicated it on our own! Home remedy. We blotted out sinus infections, ear infections, and now, eye infections - all without a visit to the doctor or the dreaded round of antibiotics.

Yessss. I am so proud.

Here's how we did it:

• Regular intervals of hot compresses to the eye(s)
• Eye wash of chamomile tea w/ goldenseal tincture
• Lots of warm baths to promote drainage

The bacteria that causes pink eye cannot live in heat, thus the hot compress. Because we do not have a microwave or a hot water bottle, I heated dried beans in a pot until they were hot and put them in an old sock. Be careful - it can get very hot, to the point of needing extra layers to protect your skin.

For the eye wash, I resorted wiping out Truen's eye with a cotton ball dipped in chamomile tea with 2-3 drops goldenseal tincture. (He couldn't handle anything else.) Squeeze used a glass eye-washing cup: it makes a seal and allows you to open and flush out your eye with the liquid (also great for irritated eyes).

Chamomile tea:

• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 TBSP chamomile blossoms
• Let steep until cool
• Strain twice before using

I repeated the eye wash/wipe and hot compress several times throughout the day, once or twice in conjunction with each other (which is a very good idea, if only my two year old could have handled it better). After the 3rd day following this routine, little Truen's eyes were tamed. Squeeze's eyes, which were never oozy like Truen's, cleared up after two days.

I referenced Prescription for Nutritional Healing by Phyllis Balch and Naturally Healthly Babies and Children by Aviva-Jill Romm - books that are invaluable components of both my home library and natural health philosophy.

Fighting for real milk - fighting for personal liberties and freedom

Hundreds pack raw milk hearing in Eau Claire

Hours of testimony
Wednesday's hearing at Chippewa Valley Technical College attracted about 450 people - most of them raw milk supporters who arrived by the busload. Testimony began about 10 a.m. and continued for more than 10 hours. Speakers included farmers, consumers, scientists and state and federal officials.

What happens here will send a message to the rest of the nation, said Kimberly Hartke, spokeswoman for the Weston A. Price Foundation, which touts the benefits of raw milk and says the risk of illness from it is minimal.

Currently, about 25 states allow some form of raw milk sales."Wisconsin is a bellwether state for us," Hartke said.

Ted Beals, a retired pathologist from the University of Michigan, said raw milk sales should be allowed."There is a very large and expanding group of well-informed families that very much want to have their milk fresh, unprocessed and whole, and they prefer to get it from a farmer they know," Beals said in an interview. "It's very personal," he said. "I can't think of another reason to get people more upset than to tell them that the food they believe is very nutritious and essential to their health is going to be denied them."

Advocates say raw milk contains nutrients, enzymes and bacteria that boost the immune system and can prevent allergies. Some even say it helps control asthma or autism.

"I am not making claims that our milk is going to cure cancer or anything else. You only know what it's going to do for you when you try it yourself," said Janet Brunner, whose dairy farm in Pepin County sold raw milk for nearly 10 years until running into opposition from state regulators.

For dozens of small farms in the state, raw milk sales have been an economic elixir, and they have built a loyal customer base while avoiding prosecution. The Brunners had more than 600 customers who paid about $5 a gallon for unpasteurized milk from their farm.

When they stopped selling it, Janet Brunner said, the farm store's income plummeted by 90%. "Now we are not earning enough to pay our bills, let alone support our farm," she said.

Independent lens

Diego has been taking a lot of pictures recently and I have really enjoyed seeing our home through his eyes. It's nice to have some fresh perspective from 42 inches off the floor.

Here are some of my favorites...

Little tootsies

A wasp's nest from the WI woods;
a mirror ball and color-strip lighting,
used for borealis family dance parties.
(Squeeze has black-lights up too,
but you can't see them in this picture.)

An extended window sill,

a little bit of green barracading us from the

sparkling outdoor winter whiteness.

One of my favorite bookshelves

Skyping with my dad.

I had the camera off the monitor

and was showing him something up close,

though I can't remember what.

Maybe the boys?

Skiing

I'm very good at skiing.
I have a kind of knack
For I can do it frontways
And also on my back.
And when I reach the bottom
I give a sudden flop
And dig myself in sideways,
And that's the way I stop.

Marchette Chute

***
Piper, Pipe that Song Again: Poems for Boys and Girls
Selected by Nancy Larrick
Published 1965
Thrifted ♥

Food, Inc.

You've seen it, right??? If you haven't, use whatever means you have available to you to see it - library, retail, rent, borrow, Netflix, etc.

Watching this film is a most revealing experience. It got me fired up all over again. It was a concise summery of all the research I've been doing the past 4-5 years, encompassing a good number of books. I highly, highly recommend it.

Books: My Journey to Real Food

These books have changed my life. They've given force and direction to my then-vague, now robust whole foods gut-instinct.

• Fat Land: How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World - Greg Critser
• Fast Food Nation - Eric Schlosser
• Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life - Barbara Kingsolver
• The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals - Michael Pollan
• Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats - Sally Fallon
• Real Food: What to Eat and Why - Nina Planck
• Garden of Eating: A Produce-dominated Diet & Cookbook - Rachel Albert-Matesz
• Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods - Sandor Ellix Katz
• Kitchen Literacy: How We Lost Knowledge of Where Food Comes from and Why We Need to Get It Back - Ann Vileisis
• The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved: Inside America's Underground Food Movements - Sandor Ellix Katz

The foresight! The vocabulary! The synapses!

Truen is two. Yesterday afternoon we were outside, stomping on the ice in the driveway, as Squeeze drove in. Truen saw him and announced, "We gonna get crushed!"

It made my mind spin. Amazing.

Coconutty-Almondy-Chocolatey-JOY

A lot of people have asked me for the recipe for the Coconutty-Almondy-Chocolatey-JOY in my last post about my battle against the void of refined sugar and flour, so I decided to take care of business with one post vs. numerous emails.

It is so good.

Coconutty-Almondy-Chocolatey-JOY

• 6 TBSP coconut oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 TBSP maple syrup
• 2 TBSP unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup chopped almonds

Melt (not cook, just melt) coconut oil in a small saucepan.

Whisk in vanilla, cocoa, and maple syrup until completely dissolved. Failure to do this will result in separation and an oily top.

Whisk in remaining ingredients, making sure they are completely incorporated.

Pour mixture into pan and tip to evenly spread. Use an 8X8 pan (or 9X13 for a double batch) - lined with parchment paper.

Place pan in freezer for 10 minutes to harden. ENJOY!

For those with little ones - this treat melts quickly when handled by warm little hands, so have them sit at the table while eating it.

In the fact that it is mostly coconut oil, Coconutty-Almondy-Chocolatey-JOY makes for a terrific dessert. That deliciously wonderful fat will help you feel satiated in addition to making the most of the digestion of the good meal you just ate.

Disclosure: I found this recipe online last fall, but could not locate the original site when composing this post. If anyone runs into it, please post the link in the comments so I can give credit where credit is due.