Progressive Pioneer

Crafting and Cooking Fun for Kids Giveaway Winners

I almost forgot to post this week's giveaway winners! 

Valerie who said "Voted- #2" is the winner of the cook book, Cooking Fun for Kids (she also commented, "I've been hearing a lot about these books lately - they look great! My kids love to craft and to cook," but it was that third comment that was the charm!)

Gisele who said "You got me at: "This book is for kids who love to craft and adults who reminisce about the simpler days of their childhoods." Because that's us. I love it." is the winner of Crafting Fun for Kids.

Congratulations girls and happy crafting and cooking!  You can find Rae's books from the publisher or on Amazon.

Book Review (sort of) and Halloween Festivities

When I was a kid we had this great book, which, for the life of me, I can't remember the name of!  It's late in Maine, otherwise I'd call my dad and ask him; he knows everything.  But it was a book of New England ghost stories- true ghost stories.  And I LOVED it!  It was filled with stories of ships sailing into harbor manned only by skeletons, of stained graves that wouldn't come clean and of unrequited love.  While I can't remember the title of the original book, this , this and this look pretty spooky too.

To get in the Halloween spirit we carved up some pumpkins at my sister-in-laws and ate way too many candy apples.  

Don't you love getting elbow deep in pumpkin mook?  I always forget what a full-body sport it is, certainly not for the faint of heart.  There's stabbing and scooping, leaning your weight into it, and in my case hammering and chopping as I used pieces of gourds for ears, nose and mouth and nailed them on.

Clay carved an Elvis-y Dracula-type character with a swoopy hair-do made from a gourd. You can't really see the hair in this picture.  It was quite dashing though. 

We roasted pumpkin seeds and discussed the phenomenon of loving something that in actuality, isn't all that tasty.  I mean, really, is there anyone who actually loves the taste of pumpkin seeds?  I love eating them, but I'm not sure if it's just the salty crunchiness or the once-a-year novelty of them. 

Raw pumpkin seeds, on the other hand, I do love the taste of.  They're so nutty and delicious.  I brought home a whole bag of pumpkin guts for the chickens, but before handing it over I pulled out a bunch of seeds for myself.  Did you know they're anti-parasitic?  And it turns out they also have plenty of good amino acids and unsaturated fatty acids, most of the B vitamins, C, D, E, and K, plus calcium, potassium, niacin, and phosphorous. They're used to treat prostate and bladder problems, depression and learning disabilities; pretty amazing little seed.  I love the internet!

I love dressing up and wouldn't miss the chance so Clay and I are both joining Sam in donning costumes tomorrow.  I'll post a picture of the whole ensemble later.  Any guesses as to what we're dressing up as?  There's a theme...

Happy Halloween!

Costume Update: Here we are in all our salty Maine glory:

Birdhouse

Sometimes Clay just needs a fun, relaxing project, something that isn't work, but just play.  With a few wood scraps and spare hours on a Saturday he whipped up this little bird dining palace to perch atop the stump of a recently done in peach tree.  He left the stump extra long so the feeder would be relatively high off the ground.

I love having him home on Saturdays, even if we're not working on something together I just like knowing he's a few steps away, peacefully creating something.  And I pop in now and again to check on the progress and enjoy the sweet smell of pine and various other woods.  I love that smell, it reminds me of my dad and my best friend's dad who were carpenters together when I was a little girl. 

While I only visit periodically, Sam, on the other hand, spends the entire day outside in the yard and in the shop with his dad.  He's in seventh heaven watching Dad use the various tools.  He knows all the names and can even recognize them by sound if we're in the house and will give me a running commentary on what dad's doing outside based on the sounds emanating from the garage; "shaw! 'ammer! dwill!"

I hoe the birds appreciate the artistry of their new digs.  They certainly seem to appreciate the seeds we leave out for them and we love watching them through the window.

 

MamaViews: Lynne and Melissa of Sugar City Journal

I have a treat for you today; two lovely sister-in-laws, one lovely blog and one wonderfully creative business venture.  Lynne and Melissa from Sugar City Journal share some insights into their relationship, working together and where they find inspiration.

How wonderful to be sister-in-laws with so much in common and such a fun project to work on together.  How has working on this creative endeavor together affected your relationship?

Lynne: Definitely doing this together has been our main motivation and joy in this blogging experience. Before Sugar City Melissa and I definitely loved each other and shared lots of interests, but it’s brought us so close as we’ve talked about our joint projects and our families and the shared creative experience. We talk nearly every day, one of us calling with some crazy idea about something to do, or make, or an idea from a book we’ve been reading that we want to hash out a little.

I think that both of us have at times gotten so busy with family and other responsibilities that we’re tempted to let Sugar City go...but the connection it gives us to each other makes it really hard.

Melissa:  I love the creative synergy that Lynne and I share.  It's amazing how we can start with a simple idea and by discussing it for just a few minutes the idea can evolve in unexpected ways.  Having a creative springboard is very healthy and I've heard that many advertising companies ask their employees to work in teams for this very reason.  Also I must add that Lynne is one of the nicest people on this earth.  She is one of my greatest heroes, or rather heroines!

The style of the clothes you sew, and also your homes, is such a pleasant mix of timeless, fairytale-esque vintage and sleek, hip, modern.  Where do you draw your inspiration from?

Lynne: I get a huge amount of inspiration from Melissa, herself! I love the way her mind works and it’s impacted me a lot in how I visually try and create our little home and the sewing I do. When I first met Melissa we were college apartment neighbors, and she’d just gotten back from living for a year and a half in Belgium. She seemed so sophisticated and artistic to me! I still feel that way. She is my life hero!

I also love the cozy domesticity of Carl Larsson, the Swedish painter. Looking at the depictions of his house in his paintings, it’s a jumble of children and activity – but also of beauty and effort on the part of both him and his artist-wife. And nature. I love to try and help my kids get any little bit of nature in their lives, which is sometimes a challenge for me in the suburbs.

Melissa:  I love picking my mom's brain for ideas too.  She grew up in the 30s and 40s in a small Idaho town.  She has vivid memories of her childhood and can remember all sorts of unusual details.  She's also an amazing seamstress and every summer when I visit Idaho with my children, my mom and I usually do several sewing projects together and she helps me refine my sewing.  

How did your childhood influence who you are as a mother and the way you mother your own families?  What sorts of traditions, practices and habits are carry-overs from your childhoods?

Lynne: I feel like I was so lucky in my childhood. We lived in an old farmhouse in Virginia on 7 acres, which we had total freedom to roam and explore. I spent a lot of time sitting on the bank of our little creek reading, or making up games in our old barn, or trying to teach our pets to talk (I was a strange child). But I loved it. I feel like with my own children, it’s my chief challenge to try and take the reality of our great life – in a San Francisco suburb, living in a neighborhood on a quarter acre of land, to find the magic in what we have here and now, rather than dwelling on an existence we don’t have. We have wonderful, wonderful friends who live up and down our street; we have security and a great sense of community; and my kids get to walk to school everyday.

Melissa:  My husband (who happens to be Lynne's brother) and I often draw upon our experiences of being raised with thrifty, can-do moms to help us raise our own children.  We live in a wealthy community where children are given pretty much everything they want.  It's always a challenge to not give in to the pressure of giving them everything.  My kids could attend one or two birthday parties every weekend, where the children are lavished with games and toys and sugar.  We try to think of the big picture and plan family outings and activities that strengthen their minds, bodies and spirits.  We go on lots of hikes, visit local historic sights and rake lots of lots of leaves together in our little wooded yard.  

To me you seem like progressive pioneers; do you think so too?  In what ways?

Lynne: I think I aspire to be a progressive pioneer rather than actually being one – and the key there I think is the desire to do things in a simpler, more wholesome way: parenting, entertaining, eating, living...

Melissa:  I ditto what Lynne said.

You both speak of the importance of appreciating and finding joy and beauty in the simple things.  What are some simple joys that have made you smile recently?

Lynne: It made me smile last night when my husband fished out a mini-matchbox car, 3 toothbrushes, and a wad of cottonballs from our sink drain.

Melissa:  That cracks me up Lynne!  I'm trying to savor every moment with my little children because I know they will grow up so fast.  They already have!  That's why my blog activity has lightened lately, I'm putting more emphasis on enjoying the moment with my little family, and less emphasis on stuff.  As for the pictures, I could add nothing sweeter than a picture of my little baby Margot in her little crocheted cap.  Thanks so much for taking the time to share a little glimpse into your world, your relationship and your sources of inspiration.  

If you haven't already, make sure you check out the patterns in their shop and the flickr group for some images of the patterns brought to life; they are divine.

Gearing Up

Clay and I are thinking about expanding the Thompson clan.  And so begins the rigorous routine of vitamins, green smoothies, mama tea, building up the immune system, lots of protein and 2+ quarts of water a day-- phew!

I'm taking Rainbow Light prenatals (not pictured; somehow Sam's probitics got in there instead of the prenatals).  It's a basic all-in-one recommended by both the midwives in Maine and my naturopath here.  In addition to that it's fish oil for omegas and healthy brain development in the little one.  Then there's a calcium powder to mix with water.  I chase the fish oil with that; it's fizzy and wipes away any aftertaste not covered by the strawberry flavor.  And finally a plant-based iron supplement rounds out the whole arsenal.  I used to think my parents were so weird for taking vitamins and here I am with a fridge full of them!  I feel more comfortable knowing I'm covering all my bases though.  But I still think that food is the ideal place to get your vities. 

The daily green smoothies are much more enjoyable to take.  Greens are full of folic acid and I'm sure the fruit is full of goodies too, though mostly I just like it for the taste!  I've been picking kale every morning from the garden.  It's so hardy and will even stay alive in the snow!  Next year we plan on planting rows and rows of it towards the end of the summer so we can just keep harvesting it almost through the winter.   

And now that I've got all that planned and out of the way, the really important question is, who has tips on how to get a girl?

 

Giveaway: Crafting Fun for Kids

All of Clayton's family was recently in town so we drew names for Christmas.  Usually we do this at Thanksgiving, but since we're sticking to the "has to be handmade" rule, we decided to give ourselves a little extra time.  Today's giveaway is the perfect resource if you'd like to have a bit of handmade in your Christmas as well, or maybe just keep the kids occupied during the chilly months!

Rae Grant is the author of Crafting Fun for Kids and Cooking Fun for Kids and is offering both for this week's giveaway!

Living Crafts Magazine says, "This book is for kids who love to craft and adults who reminisce about the simpler days of their childhoods. Organized by season, over 97 simple projects are explained on one to two pages each, and jam-packed with hours of entertainment." 

Cooking Fun was a washingtonpost.com Best Gift Cookbook pick for 2008 and they said, "How nice to see new versions of old and simple kid-pleasing recipes. Most have three or five ingredients, with nary a cutesy name. The book’s retro look complements the comfort level of the recipe directions."

I love Rae's vintage-inspired illustrations.  They're perfect to accompany the classic, childhood projects found within the pages.  I can think of several young crafters who would be thrilled to find these books tucked among their Christmas presents...

To enter leave a comment.  You can gain additional entries in the following ways, but remember to leave an ADDITIONAL COMMENT FOR EACH ENTRY.  1) vote for Progressive Pioneer at Divine Caroline (you can have two votes for this because the process is kind of a pain, but make sure to leave TWO extra comments) 2) become a fan on facebook 3) become a friend 4) add PP to your blog roll (1st timers) 5) add a button (1st timers) 6) mention the giveaway on your blog and 7) tweet the giveaway.  Dang!  That's eight possible extra entries!  GOOD LUCK!

Dinner Co-op

I love cooking.  It's a satisfying, creative venture-- most of the time.  But because I don't always have several hours to devote to pouring over the glossy pages of a cookbook, leisurely strolling through the aisles of the health food store and then cooking up a culinary masterpiece, it often becomes more a matter of, "Shoot, what can I whip up in 20 minutes that's still good for us?!"  At some point I stumbled across the book Dinner at Your Door and knew that was my answer.  Once a week I could devote myself to the art of cooking and truly enjoy the process.  The rest of the nights?  I'll leave the cooking to someone else!

I found a few adventurous, kindred spirits who were willing to try cooking vegetarian, whole foods in mass quantities and the dinner co-op was born.  We kicked it off with a pot luck dinner where we talked about our goals, cooking preferences and tastes and got to know each other a little better. 

The first week was a great success!  I was so thrilled that first night to have a couple free hours in the evening when I normally would've been cooking.  I cleaned the bathroom; not exciting, I know, but it really needed to be done!  I was so excited that I set the table with the fancy glasses and matching napkins.  One has time for these sorts of considerations when they're not running around the kitchen at the last minute trying to throw a coherent meal together.  The subsequent night was equally delicious and satisfying and then it was my turn to cook.  While cooking twelve servings at once is a bit of an adjustment, it came together in the end despite a last minute dash to the store for more onions and calling in hubby to sous chef for me.  Even the kids called it a success; here's Sam tucking into some curried chick peas and rice.  I can't wait until next week; I think I'm going to try black bean tamales or a veggie pot pie! 

Book Review: The Herbal Home Remedy Book

It's getting to be that season, the time of year when we make big steaming pots of healing broths on the stove and bundle up in woolen scarves and hats, trying to evade the ever present germies lurking in the air.  I've got some essential oils and special throat drops headed this way and I'm feeling the urge to start brewing up some home remedies just in case.

My wonderful mother-in-law got me The Herbal Home Remedy Book by Joyce Wardell and while I haven't tried out the recipes yet, I have lazily thumbed through the pages, dog-earing ones here and there and making mental lists of supplies. 

The book has a comfortable, homey feel to it.  The notes and stories feel as if they were passed down from wise old grandmas.  The simple illustrations give the impression that this is not rocket science, but something natural that even a child could (and should) learn.  While being simple and direct in its teaching style, the book is still quite comprehensive.  It covers everything a home herbalist would really want to know, from gathering your supplies to preserving and then using the herbs.  

 

Some of the recipes I'm itching to try are the cold season remedy (this seems like a good thing to make a lot of and keep on hand!), the fast-healing salve (it promotes rapid cell growth to heal wounds quickly with less scarring), herbal pastilles.  She recommends lavender, mint or rose petals for the pastilles- yum!  And mentions that the material is much like play dough and can use the energy of many little hands to roll it into tiny balls.  What a perfect rainy day activity that would be for house bound little ones. 

I love that she has a whole chapter on stocking the herbal medicine cabinet, such that a novice like myself has somewhere to start from.  The book is completely accessible for a beginner without being condescending.  And towards the end she has a thorough A-Z guide for curing what ails you.  It's a lovely and useful book and I'm so glad to have it in our family library.

A wonderful source for herbs and various supplies is Mountain Rose Herbs.  And if you aren't up to making the concoctions yourself, they have organic lotions, potions and tonics all mixed up for you!

images from Avena Botanicals, another great source for herbs and products and one of my favorite places to stroll through when home in Maine.

MamaRoots Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to Monkey Lobster who said... i love her creations!

And a big thank you to MamaRoots for sharing such a lovely, seasonal bunch of goodies.  Keep her in mind for Christmas treats and even little just because presents.  Wouldn't it be perfect to have a few of these lovelies tucked away in a drawer somewhere to pull out as a surprise?

The Ever-Evolving Pumpkin Soup

We only had one tiny little pumpkin in the garden this year.  Then there was a big wind storm and the dang thing picked itself right off the plant!  So, it was either a pie or a soup for this guy and with the chilly weather I opted for a thick, creamy soup.

Because it was such a small pumpkin I added a butternut squash to the soup as well since I was doubling the recipe.  So it became a "winter squash" soup. 

I didn't have any tarragon and so I used fresh sage from the garden.  I love the combination of sage and squash anyway.  And I skipped the milk and just used broth, but it was plenty creamy.  Adding potatoes makes you almost believe there's dairy in the soup.

After day two or three in the fridge, when the soup was looking less exciting than that first delicious bite, we tossed in some leftover beans and rice.  It totally revived the soup and made it into something entirely different, sort of a south of the border, hearty stew.  Not exactly the pumpkin soup I had in mind when I started, but perfectly delicious and satisfying in all its various incarnations along the way!

Reusable Cloth Ziplocs

I've had the idea and the supplies for this project for several weeks and I finally had the time last weekend to sit down and put the two together!  The lovely Betz White of this week's MamaView posted about green lunch kits and linked to these two tutorials. 

I glanced over the tutorials and then just winged it!  One of those plastic table cloths and some cloth napkins found at the thrift store made the perfect material.  The fuzzy side of the table cloth made it stick to the napkin nicelyso they didn't slide around while sewing them.  I cut squares of the tablecloth to the same size as the napkins and then sewed them together; one side cloth, the other side waterproof for the inside of the bag.

Then I stitched velcro to two opposite sides on the tablecloth side.  DO NOT use that sticky-backed kind!  It is such a pain to use and you don't need it to be sticky if you're going to be sewing it on anyway.

Then stick those velcro pieces together and sew up the sides.  You're going to have raw hems on the outside because you don't want them folded in or they'll get all in the food on the inside of the bag. You want the inside nice and clean.

Then to solve the raw edge problem, pin on some pretty binding and sew it up!

These are really addicting to make so you might find yourself with a whole set before you know it!  They sew up so quickly, it's a satisfying project.

We put them to use right away and packed some snacks for a car ride to Sam's cousin's.  And since then they've been in high demand.  Sam and I use them to pack snacks and Clay's been carrying various parts of his lunch to work in them.  I think I'd better make some more...

MamaViews: Betz White

Betz does it all; mama-ing, crafting, book writing, and designing her own line of fabrics!  She just released a beautiful selection of rich, autumn-inspired fabrics in her organic print line.  I love that she chooses top quality materials and has her fabrics produced in a low-impact, sustainable manner.  She's all about being green; have you seen her book ?  I have a little project to show you tomorrow, inspired by one of Betz' ideas. Today she shares some thoughts about green crafting, creating with family, and where she finds inspiration.  Welcome, Betz!

You've published two books about crafting.  Do you find the creative process involved in writing a book to be significantly different from that involved in sewing and crafting?  How did you evolve as a creator and become a writer?

I've always had a design mind and worked many years as an apparel designer in the fashion industry. So the creative process I used when designing projects for my books was just second nature for me. As far as the writing portion goes, I do enjoy expressing myself.  However, I admit that the writing was definitely more of a challenge for me than the project creation. It's been a good stretching of the ol' comfort zone!

You use recycled and repurposed materials in so many of your projects.  You seem to have a knack for seeing something new and lovely within something old and cast off.  Does this affect how you see the rest of the world or things around you?

I think I discovered the thrill of the unexpected in my youth. I recall getting positive reinforcement from people when I chose to look at things in an offbeat way. My impulse was to intentionally do things differently than what people expected. (Of course, doing something differently purely for the sake of being different doesn't always have a positive result!) Now that I am a "seasoned" designer, I hope that I've refined that impulse.  I continue to get a kick out of turning things on their heads and, in particular, finding new purpose for old items. That's why I enjoy thrifting and repurposing so much! I really thrive on the process of creative problem solving.

How does crafting happen in your family?  Do you find yourselves involved often in collaborative projects?  Or do you and your kids retreat into your own personal creative zones?  Are you the ring leader or do your kids introduce you to new ideas?  What sort of dynamic does crafting bring to your family?

Since crafting is a big part of my "work", I have my own studio space full of my materials, tools and work surfaces. I share my space with my kids and husband when they need to create and we do often collaborate. In addition, the kitchen table is used more for drawing and art projects than for eating. Right now, the 4 of us are working on the kids Halloween costumes. What an undertaking! My husband, who is trained as an industrial designer, is in charge of the costume "hard goods": Helmets, jet-packs, etc. I am in charge of the costume "soft goods" : shirts, pants, capes, wigs, etc. The kids play the roles of art directors and fit models. I love being able to show the kids that making stuff is way more gratifying than buying it.

To me you seem like a progressive pioneer; do you think so too?  In what way?

I dedicated my book, Sewing Green, to my grandmother, Frances Sayre. Her mantra was Waste Not Want Not and it is a philosophy that rings as true today as it ever did. We have all grown accustomed to behaviors that contribute to a wasteful society. My current goal is to move away from all things disposable. I hope that by doing so others will join me! There are many projects in Sewing Green that can help, such as the reusable sandwich wrap and lunch tote, the water bottle sling, cloth napkins, etc. I really believe that we would all be better off by stopping, rewinding, and starting up again with simple, basic ways of living.

I love how you describe the feelings behind your family cottage fabric line.  Where do you find design inspiration? 

I usually start with something that is important or interesting to me personally, as was the case with Family Cottage and my new Indian Summer print line. A favorite memory, a place, a print fabric or a color combination from my childhood may serve as a springboard. I really like having a  story to guide my designs, something to hang my hat on. From there, it's anything goes! 

Thanks so much for visiting and sharing your thoughts today, Betz!  You can read more about Betz' lovely fabrics and projects on her blog; I find something new to inspire me every week!

Reincarnated Bread

Keeping bread in a cloth bag versus a plastic one has several advantages; it doesn't mold, it keeps its crust longer, no worries about weird chemicals.  But, the one drawback is that you have a little less than a week to eat it.  Go past that and you have a bread brick on your hands.  Probably excellent for building small shelters out of.  Not so excellent for eating... unless you bring it back to life as this fantastic bread pudding!

I'd been looking for a good bread pudding recipe for whole wheat bread and this is it.  I tweaked it a bit, substituting peaches and pecans for apples and walnuts simply because that's what we had on hand.  But I think the original recipe would be just as good.  I love that the recipe only uses honey as the sweetener.  It's not overwhelmingly sweet, but just sweet enough.  And I felt perfectly justified in having it for breakfast several days in a row.

 

The recipe tells you to let it soak for about ten minutes, but I let mine soak at least half an hour.  This is a crucial step, especially if you have seriously stale (read: brick-like) bread.  I also used just a hair less bread than it called for.  I like to err on the side of more mooshy and rich than less.  Nothing ruins a good bread pudding like too much bread and not enough pudding. It was absolutely perfect with a scoop of caramel vanilla ice cream on the side.  For breakfast plain yogurt and maple syrup are delicious.  I may eat dessert for breakfast, but certainly not with icecream; I have to draw the line somewhere!

Giveaway: MamaRoots

The air is getting chilly, the leaves are crisp and Halloween is just around the corner!  And today's giveaway is right in tune with the season.  MamaRoots has put together a special little monster giveaway just for you!  (It also happens to coincide with a certain movie I've been dying to see!)

In the gift package will be a set of Giving, Saving, and Spending jars with monster tags, a Moishe Wild Pocket Moleskine journal,a Wild Tree Monster made of Sugar Maple and designed by one of the creator's own little monsters.  This critter likes to share a bit of nature and hold little reminders of the season; great for nature tables, near calendars, or in any spot you need a little wildness!  He also comes with 4 season bling necklaces, though they are not attached so if your little one is very young, he would be best naked. 

All of Mamaroots products are handmade and perfect for little hands (and mouths!) as they are non-toxic with smooth, rounded edges.  The mama behind these beautiful products says of her shop, "I work in a Waldorf inspired old world tradition of toymaking that I love sharing with my sons and your family! All natural and imagination driven. My inspiration comes from the natural world around me and a life time love of stories and books."

The materials used are wood, wool, and cotton with certified watercolors in the Waldorf tradition to stain the wood and let the natural grain show.  They are sealed with all natural food safe beeswax polish with no extra scents or essences. The beeswax polish is local organic Missouri beeswax mixed with organic JoJoba Oil.  

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment.  You can get up to 7 extra entries (or more; I'm open to creative entries!) by adding a button or to your blogroll (first timers on these two, please), by sharing the giveaway on Twitter, your blog or facebook AND in two new ways, by becoming a friend and/or a fan on facebook.  Good luck everyone and thank you MamaRoots! on facebook!

We Can Do Hard Things

Sometimes we have to do hard things.  That's a tough lesson for a little guy, but Sam is the toughest little guy I know.  Remember when I mentioned that Sam would need one more surgery?  Well, it's over and done with- phew!  It's now simply a milestone to look back on rather than a huge obstacle looming ahead.

We're a pretty self-sufficient family and consequently we don't tend to ask for help- even when we need it.  When people asked we said,  "No, no, we're fine.  We've got meals in the freezer.  Don't worry about us."  But thankfully they did.  And it was so, so nice to eat something hot and delicious rather than a reheated soup or frozen burrito from the freezer.  I was touched by how thoughtfully prepared the meals were; they were right up our alley and so delicious.  Clay's aunt stopped by one afternoon with fruit leathers and dried bananas fresh from her dehydrator and another friend brought whole wheat apple bread.  It was exactly what I needed!

The hardest part of the hospital time was when Sam was in the ICU.  I couldn't hold him or nurse him and he was on some pretty heavy drugs, which was surely for the best, though it was hard to see him so out of it.  I rubbed his feet and his head and used some essential oil that I thought might remind him of home.  It's pretty hard when the only thing you can do to help your baby is to simply lay your hands on them and hope somehow they understand why you can't do more.  When I finally was able to hold him, but couldn't yet nurse him it was the saddest thing because that's all he wanted and he couldn't understand why I wouldn't let him. 

When we went up to the children's floor and he had his own room I requested an adult-sized bed rather than a crib.  All I wanted was to be near him every minute I could.  So, we snuggled down and read books and slept and then read more books.  I stayed the nights at the hospital and we slept curled up together all night long.  Finally when the surgeons gave the okay for him to nurse I was overjoyed!  We gathered up the various wires and IVs and I gingerly sat down in an armchair by the bed.  He nursed for an hour and a half straight!  He was not giving up that boob for anything!  I was so happy to be able to finally give him that comfort again and so glad that his first food after a major abdominal surgery could be something so healing, nourishing and easy to digest.

While Sam napped during the day, which was quite a lot immediately after the surgery, I kept busy at the side of his bed.  The hospital staff probably thought I was moving in for good; I even brought a toaster and some homemade bread to have for breakfasts!

There were a few long days where Sam was just lethargic and seemed to be in a lot of pain.  And if a baby could be depressed I'd say he was looking pretty down as well (for all he knew this drastic change in the quality of his life was permanent!).  But then one afternoon Clay came over after work and bundled Sam and I and all his wires and IV pole up in a wheelchair and wheeled us out onto the patio outside.  Initially Sam lay in my lap like a sad sack of potatoes, miserable and uncomfortable looking.  We handed him a flower from the garden patio and he help it limply.  Then slowly he began to examine it more closely and a light went on in his eyes.  His brain seemed to stir itself out of the stupor as if to say, "Hey, flowers!  I remember these!  And, wait a minute... I'm outside!"  He sat up and looked at me and said, "Down?"  We set him on the ground and he took his first steps in days and then began excitedly exploring the patio and even climbed on the wheelchair like a jungle gym!  He walked back to his room instead of being carried and from that point he made a very speedy recovery.  We also made quite a few more trips to the patio.
The last day or two before we left I couldn't even keep him in his bed.  He wanted to be outside or in the playroom.  The playroom had stained glass butterflies that he really liked, so we made this one for him out of craft supplies and he loved it.  He carried it so gingerly and carefully. 

While I do believe that we over-medicate and lean on allopathic medicine more than we should in our society, I certainly know that there is a place for medical and surgical intervention and I am SO grateful to the people who dedicate their lives to saving other's.  I'm also so grateful for the graceful way we were able to integrate our own beliefs and practices; co-sleeping, prayer and blessings, breastfeeding, essential oils, whole food etc., within the hospital system.  It was truly the best of both worlds and the very best thing for Sam.

Book Review from the Beard: The Whistling Season

A person could spend hours in the library or at the bookstore searching for writing that makes his heart beat meaningfully, that is purposeful.  There is brilliant literature left in the world, but admittedly it is easier to reread something good than to look for new sources.  I have a favorite few books that I have read so many times I’ve lost count. There are things that separate what is fun from what is lasting.  There are thousands of authors who are talented entertainers, handy with gimmicks to stimulate the mind.  But there are only handfuls who write what will last because of how it sticks in the ears and in the hearts and on the tongues of its readers. That said, it is a wonderful thing to haphazardly pick up a book and have its voice fill your mind, to begin to think in terms of its places and its people.  By a rare accident I picked up a book whose author I am glad to have stumbled upon.

On the author’s web site Ivan Doig confesses ‘Reader, my story is flirting with you; please love it back.’  The Whistling Season is a book of history both real and imagined, characters, parallels between the past and the present.  It is about a family on a Montana homestead who just prior to the start of the narration lost their mother.  It is not a book in which characters look for meaning in cold disenchantment; on the contrary, it is about a family who makes meaning and richness in spite of what is bitter and hard.  There is a good blend of history as it happened and fictional storytelling where real-life characters and events mix with fictional ones who are equally believable.  It is also a book about the power education can have to elevate us above our circumstances.

The narrator is an older man in the middle of the century recounting the  vividly drawn details of a significant couple of seasons in his youth.  He is an exceptionally gifted student and plagued by dreams.  I found him endearing, but not pathetic.  The plot centers on a character contrast: two well dressed ‘foreigners’ from the east and the rough, blandly clad Montana homesteaders.  The narrator describes his first sight of ‘Uncle Morrie,’ who came to have an impact on his life:  “Like her, this individual believed in sparing nothing on appearance.  A paisley vest peeked from amid the tweed... The man was not at all tall, but held himself very straight as if to make the most of what he had.  He was lightly built, and an extraordinary amount of him was mustache.” 

If the book's strengths were in its characters and well used literary devices (like voice and setting and metaphor) its weakness was in its small surprises toward the end.  I found them a little melodramatic and not as consistent with the overall theme and story.  But the author was obviously fond of these characters.  Their sorrows and joys made them real.  It was a well told story and I admit that I did love it back.

images via Distincly Montana and NYTimes

LuSa Organics Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to Tracy who said...

I love that Baby Bundle recipe...I am definitely going to make up a batch. Great Giveaway. Thanks so much for the chance.

And a big thanks to LuSa Organics!  Remember that they're offering a coupon to Progressive Pioneer readers good for $10 off any order over $40 with the code "pioneer."  (And check their blog for another code to get a special gift with your order.  You can also become a fan on facebook so you don't miss out on sales and other goodies.) Stock up on the stocking stuffers now so you can relax with your feet by the fire and eggnog in your mug during the holidays!

Seed Saving

It's that time of year, when the brittle husks begin to break open, scattering seeds to their fate.  For a lot of the seeds in our garden that fate is to be carefully collected and stored in little white envelopes until next spring.

I cut dry, brown heads of dill and snipped the seeds off.  I don't worry too much about extracting the individual seeds.  It will be just as easy to do that in the spring right before I drop them into the ground.

It's amazing the diverse ways plants come up with to protect and scatter their seeds.  I love these roquette pods.  Each pod is divided by a translucent membrane with seeds clinging to either side.  They looked so pretty held up to the light.

Fresh basil is one of my absolute favorite smells; it puts me right into a swoon.  But I hadn't before experienced the smell of basil seeds.  It's such a delicious, rich, autumn-y scent, so different from the vibrant, fresh, young leaves of the early summer plants, but no less intoxicating.  It sums up all the good earthy, smoky, cozy feelings of fall.  I'm wondering if I could use the seeds in cooking...

These I just rolled around in my hands to loosen the seeds and remove them from the stems.  But again, I didn't worry too much about freeing them entirely from their pods.  It would have been too labor intensive.  So, they'll spend the winter snuggled in their little shells waiting for a spring day warm enough to plant and to start the cycle all over again.

Even though we didn't love the taste of the New Zealand spinach, the vibrant hot pink was such a welcome burst of color in the predominantly green garden that I think I'll plant it again just for a little visual variety.  They were particularly dramatic when they went to seed and shot up as brazen pink spikes.

 

I've heard that when you save seeds those plants get acclimated to your little microclimate and are more resistant to the bugs and diseases in your area.  I wonder how snail resistant I can get ours to be...

The 31 Claytons Party

I didn't do anything special for Clay's 30th birthday last year, so this year for his 31st I decided to do something extra special.  The theme of the party was, of course, Clayton.  And so I asked everyone to dress like him from a certain year!  We had baby Claytons in bald caps, middle school Claytons in acid-washed jeans, a boy scout Clayton, bearded Claytons, missionary Clayton, graduate Clayton, Halloween Clayton.  It was hilarious!

We had a mini pizza bar; fun, easy to feed a crowd and little preparation on my part made it an appealing option.  We put all the toppings in bowls on the table, turned on the broiler and let people go to town.  In addition to the pizzas there were all kinds of pot luck goodies that people brought.  Clay's aunt brought this fantastic massaman curry that I can't stop thinking about.  And I splurged on a couple cases of San Pellegrino because it's my favorite and it's so festive.

I used the bunting I made for Sam's birthday.  It was so great to be able to simply unroll this banner and hang it up.  Voila!  Instant party!  I'm all about reusable decorations.  We didn't make him wear the birthday hat though.  

I also tried out this program where you can rasterize photos and print them to any size you want.  I printed five HUGE pictures of Clay and enlisted his family to help me piece them together.  Then we hung them around the house.  It was a whole lot of bang for the buck; big impact, little cost and effort.

Everything went off without a hitch- except the cake.  Clay had requested this cornmeal lavender peach upside down cake that I make.  In my efficiency I decided to make the cake a day ahead, but neglected to think about the consequences of leaving it in the cast iron pan it was cooked in for 24 hours straight.  All the ghosts of every past garlicy, curry, oniony meal I've every made seeped its way into that cake.  Luckily I nibbled a bit first before dishing it out to 30+ people.  It made a lovely table decoration.  Clay's uncle Greg, the only one brave enough to taste it declared succintly, "That is not good!"  He may have regretted his daring tastebuds.  The chickens however have been thoroughly enjoying it.  All in all it was a pretty great night for every, people, chickens and birthday boy.

MamaViews: Marisa from Creative Thursday

You may have seen mention of Marisa's creativity e-course "In the Fish Bowl."  Well today you can get a little mini-course on creativity right here as Marisa shares her thoughts, images and stories about life as an artist and the creative process.  You can read more about her courses here, see the fantastic things in her shop here, and get more Marisa on her blog here.  Enjoy!

In your creative life, how have you evolved as a person and an artist and how has that manifested itself in your art?

Funny how that works isn't it. Choosing to express yourself creatively completely informs and inspires your evolution not only as an artist but as a person. And I'd like to add to that, that the willingness to share my creations as well as my journey publicly through a blog and now teaching has just recently given me a new found clarity on who I truly am and want to continue to be in his world. And I want to stay fiercely loyal to that vision as genuinely as possible, both personally and professionally

You seem to be very much about sharing your insights, discoveries and ideas.  How does the process of sharing benefit you?

I like to believe there is enough for everyone, that we can all succeed and thrive together. Having a competitive nature means this sentiment has not always been easy for me to trust. Acting on this  while still learning to trust it has not only helped those I've chosen to share with, but it has also helped me to see and believe that it is true. There is indeed enough for all of us. 

Where did you get the courage to make the leap to being a full time artist?  What advice would you give to other women who are looking to create more creative space in their lives?

Having exhausted various creative careers that did not inspire me, I simultaneously decided that I didn't really want to work for someone else anymore. I believed that if I fully committed to living a creative life doing work that I love, that one way or another I would succeed. So that's exactly what I did, I jumped in and committed. It took longer and took more financial resources than I thought it would, but it was all worth it. The advice I give to everyone looking to create more creative space in their lives is to just start somewhere and commit to it. You have to care that much about adding creative expression to your life that you make it a very high priority

To me you seem like a progressive pioneer; do you think so too?  In what way?

Yes, I think so! I believed in what was possible when many people around me continuously wanted to tell me what wasn't possible. A pioneer stays loyal to their vision and their dreams and keeps going forward.

Do you ever get in a creative rut?  Tell us a few things you do to get out of it.  Or maybe when you just need to clear your head with new scenery or a new activity, how do you "cleanse the creative palette?"

My problem is usually that I have so many ideas, I get overwhelmed and don't know where to begin. If I do get in a creative rut its because I'm thinking too much about how what I make will be received. The way I get out of this is to gently bring myself back, by tuning into my heart and listening to my own creative voice.

 

Marisa, thanks so much for sharing.  It's so encouraging to see someone follow their dreams and succeed.  Keep in touch!

Honey Harvest

The honey making season is drawing to a close.  We see fewer bees swooping in and out of our yard and they're beginning their work day later and later, following the sun's lead.

We've been finding quite a few bees on their last legs (or worse) in the grass.  Apparently the queen kicks the drones out for the winter.  Too many mouths to feed and there's no baby-bee-making in the cold winter months. 

Aaron and Annette came over and collected the last of the summer's honey, leaving two boxes for the bees to eat over the winter.  They used their smoker, cleaned up the tray underneath that catches some sort of moth, I think, and pulled out trays and trays of dripping honey comb.

It's been such a treat hosting the hive and being able to observe how to care for it.  Hansen Hives is thinking about offering bee keeping classes and hive maintenance services and I'm really excited about both ideas.  I'm totally taking the class if they offer it and depending on whether or not I'm ready to add yet another project/hobby to my life I may consider the hive maintenance.  Considering how much honey we use in cooking, tea and just eating off spoons, it would probably be worth it.

We tasted our first jar of backyard honey and it was mind blowing!  I kid you not, it was the best honey I've ever tasted!  And it made the Costco honey in my cupboard taste like corn syrup (actually, now I'm kind of worried that's what it is...).  I'm excited to see if Clay's allergies are better in the spring if he's eating local honey.  I've heard it helps.  Sam has developed quite the honey addiction.  Every time I open the cupboard and he sees the jar he says, " 'unny, spoon! 'unny, spoon!"  And if I'm feeling indulgent he gets a nice, sticky spoonful of honey.

Giveaway: Lusa Organics

Remember when I posted about the lovely package of goodies from Lusa Organics?  Today you have a chance to win your own!!  The winner gets a choice of either a Delight Gift Collection or a Baby Wipe Juice, Booty Balm and three organic cotton wipes. 

Lusa Organics is a beautiful, ethical, family run business.  I'm a huge fan of their soaps and lotion bars.  Right now we have their vetiver and patchouli Tofani soap in the shower.  Lusa Organic's intention is "To make soap so good that you have a better day just for having washed with it. Then your better day inspires another's better day and the whole world spirals into happiness."  I have to say, it is a fantastic way to start the day.  And I'm already planning on stuffing all our stockings with a few bars; Sam often finds things in his stocking intended for me, that silly Santa:)

If you're thinking ahead to the holidays or upcoming birthdays and baby showers now is a great time to stock up on goodies as Lusa Organics is offering a coupon code to Progressive Pioneer readers good for $10 off any order over $40.  The code is "pioneer."

Leave a comment to enter.  You can gain extra entries for adding a button or adding us to your blogroll (first timers, please), facebooking, tweeting, blog posts AND you can become a fan of Lusa Organics on facebook for an extra entry.  Good luck!

PS Check out their recipe for a soapless baby bundle to bathe your little one with.

Chickens' Evil Plot Foiled by Egg Catcher

We feed them like queens; fresh greens, grain, left over salad, baked potatoes, homemade bread, cornmeal cake and every tasty thing a chicken could desire.  We build them a chicken palace complete with roost and cozy laying boxes.  And what thanks do we get?  Certainly not eggs!  Half the time they snacked on them themselves!  Totally grossed me out at first.  We tried checking the boxes religiously, stuffing it chock full of hay and sawdust and Clay even crafted a decoy egg out of wood so when they pecked it they'd get discouraged.  But, nothing worked.

Enter, the egg catcher:

Clay built them some new nesting boxes with slightly slanting floors and I crafted some "egg nets" out of cute fabric and ribbon.

We tied the four corners of the nets to angled nails beneath each nesting box.

And gave it a few test runs with the wooden egg, which after its failed job as egg decoy became a toy for Sam.  It worked brilliantly!  The egg rolled gently down the sloped floor and through the hole, landing cradled in the flowered net beneath, and out of the reach of bored chicken beaks.

Meanwhile, Nellie and Rockefeller dug holes in the flower beds to nestle in and Sam kept them company.  He calls Rockefeller, "Rocker" and dotes on both of them.

Welcome Back Sugar Brownies

Remember when Clay and I did that month without sugar?  It was a great experiment and I think overall we eat less sugar now than we did before.  I don't use white flour at all anymore and our snacks are less sweet in general.  I think it would be good to do a month like that a couple times a year.  I've heard that if you go long enough without eating sugar you eventually lose the craving.  Well, clearly that didn't happen to me because I was all too ready to celebrate the end of the no sugar month!

These brownies are from a recipe in Cookie magazine, but I changed it so much that I can probably post it as my own.  Here are the ingredients for the brownie layer:

1 stick butter

6oz. unsweetened chocolate

2 cups evap. cane juice (next time I would use less than this, I just haven't experimented so don't want to recommend too little, but try adding a little at a time and tasting the batter.)

4 eggs

A few TBSP coconut oil

1/8tsp salt

3/4 to 1 cup whole wheat flour (promise you won't even be able to tell the difference!)

1 tsp vanilla

And for the frosting:

1 stick butter

2 cups confectioners sugar (put 1 1/2 cups evap. cane juice in a high speed blender and it'll make 2 cups of powdered sugar)

1/4 plain yogurt

2 tsp vanilla

For the glaze:

3 TBSP coconut oil

4oz unsweetened chocolate

For the brownies, melt the butter and chocolate over low heat or a double boiler.  Beat in the eggs, sugar and salt for about 8 minutes, fold in the cooled chocolate mixture and coconut oil, then the flour and vanilla.  Bake the brownies about 30 minutes at 300 (until the brownies pull away from the sides). 

Cool the brownies about an hour, then for the frosting, melt the butter on low heat until it's brown (about 20 minutes).  Remove from the heat and beat in the powdered cane sugar, yogurt and vanilla.  Frost the brownies right away or the frosting gets harder to work with.

Finally, for the glaze, melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a double boiler, or over low heat.  Then pour it over the frosting and tilt the pan around to let it spread.  Pop them in the fridge for about an hour.  Meanwhile, take care of anything on your to-do list and clear some time to sink into the most heavenly brownies you've ever tasted.  You will be coming back for seconds, and thirds, so give yourself permission to indulge right now.  They're worth it.

Umbrella Prints Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to Annette who said...  we'll be adding your blog url to our webpage links

And a big thanks to Umbrella Prints for such a fantastic giveaway.  Check back with them often as they're always adding new, charming things to their shop. (I hear their flip doll kits are available again!)

 

PS Sorry no book review today.  I had one in mind but ran out of time.  I'm planning a birthday party for Clay, so first things first!  It's going to be rad; I'll post some pictures next week.  Have a fantastic weekend!