Kitchen / Garden / Sanctuary - Urban Homesteading to Nourish Body + Spirit

Month: April 2013

The Everyday

How are you all? I feel like I’ve been in a cave — not much for correspondence lately, and just kind of lost in my own little world.

The weather around here has been cold and snowy, with a ridiculous 8° low one night — maddeningly unnecessary at this time of year. It killed our peach blossoms, and I really wish I’d picked the hyacinth flowers before that cold snap; what was I thinking?! I wait all year long for one of my favorite scents in the entire world, and then allow it to slip through my fingers. Argh! It made me really sad actually, and mad. We work so hard at not letting the big stuff get to us, that sometimes it’s the little stuff that does!

The cold snap did throw in a little precipitation as a consolation prize, so it wasn’t all bad. We really need the moisture.

It’s been quiet around here. Lots of reading and learning, working on projects, plus some good ol’ resting. Lots of resting. (Not always what this do-er wants to do, I’ll tell you!)

I finally sat down and did taxes and 3 hours into it, thought, Well no wonder I was putting this off. Sustained by Rescue Remedy, so many cups of tea that I think I set a personal record if not an Olympic one, and a few moments of “tearful release” shall we say, I did finally get them figured out and mailed off.

And you can bet there was a ceremonious tearing-up of the tax booklet into the compost. Afterwards I felt very satisfied, but awoke a few mornings later wondering if I really wanted Tax Booklet Energy in my compost pile. Coincidentally, later the same day F mentioned the torn-up booklet too, wondering if it was wise to have all that Federal Government Ink decomposing in our garden soil.

I’m gonna go fish those booklet scraps back out…

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And I wish I had taken a picture for you of the royal mess I made in the kitchen. I was making soaked almond milk in the blender when the screw-on blade base inexplicably unscrewed itself while the motor was running. I know — what the?? Before I could comprehend what was happening, five cups of watery almond goop ran all over the counter, down the cabinets, splattered onto the side of the fridge, and pooled on the floor. I’m sure that you, too, have looked a mess in the eye and thought, “I don’t want to do this.”

I threw the blender into the garbage. I had never liked it anyway.

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I also have a cactus fiber in my heel. For a weeks’ worth of days and nights it has throbbed at me and yet I run my finger obsessively over the area and find nothing — the rest of it long gone, of course.

Which just now reminds me of a quote I saw recently, “If you want to forget all your other troubles, wear too-tight shoes.”

I’m not even sure where I planning to go with this… probably nowhere good, so let me go ahead and stop here.

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What else is happening? Well everything in the garden has sprouted! Maybe it’s the skeptic in me, but every single year I plant seeds, I’m always surprised when they actually sprout. It is such a miracle.

Also…twin daffodils, squirrels, making a flower essence, before-and-sadly-after hyacinth, my happy flat of tomato and pepper seedlings, redbud branches and glory-of-the-snow flowers in the house, and cats waiting patiently for dinner.

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Kitty cabin fever

Cabin fever strikes easily at this time of the year, even for my cat — and trying to keep her from inventing trouble on indoor days can take some creativity.

Yesterday as Liz sat in my lap in front of the computer, I had an idea to search youtube for bird videos. As it turns out, there are many kind folks who have taken the time to record and post videos for cats to watch!

Liz was entranced. We watched a couple of bird videos and a fish video together. Her favorite was “Winter Birds.” And after the video session was over, she searched behind the computer screen to see where they all were.

Today was good outdoor weather, so we went out back. I rested, read in the sun, and soaked up vitamin D while Liz relaxed, hunted mice, rolled in the dirt, checked the solar oven, and helped dig soil in what will soon be the potato bed. It was a good day; no cabin fever today!

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Do your cats get cabin fever? Have they ever watched a youtube video of birds?!

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