....and the Kitchen Sink

We saw a great article in Mother Earth News magazine that discussed an outdoor veggie garden prep station. What a great way to save the kitchen from all of the dirt! So in a little hint of poetic irony, we have added the kitchen farm sink from our since defunked kitchen at the other house to the garden for said prep.

The garden is flourishing. As you can see the peas are just about ready for harvest! These are the blue shelling peas and we'll let those dry out on the vine so we can use them for soups this winter. I know, I know, speaking about next winter in our window of beautiful summer weather should be considered treasonous.

All of the late summer harvest plants are doing well and begining to take on some girth. Potatoes and tomatoes have started to blossom. The cucumbers, and various squash will soon be in need of trellis'. The beans (lazy housewife & yellow wax) have sent runners up to the top of our 7 foot trellis, I can's wait until we can start munching.

We're headed out of town this week on vacation, but I'm bringing the USB port to link up my camera and will see if I can post a couple of times while we're away. Sending out a big thanks in advance to Karri & Keith for working on pea harvest while we're away!!

Sunday Funny

I saw this in today's 'Parade' magazine.  I couldn't resist.  Moral of the story...don't get so wrapped up in life you forget the easy stuff!!  Happy  Sunday!

Typical Saturday

This morning as we were working, I started to see our accomplishments in intervals, kind of like the interval training you do at the gym.  The snapshots in time to our typical Saturday.......

Mowing...(which is probably 4 of our 6 acres)

Picking up branches

Laundry

Farm Improvments

Cool Libations, having completed all of this by noon

Having fun in the sunshine

Life is good, just a lot of work!

And now on to the afternoon......

Da 'Hawk

As parents, Brian and I made the decision early on that raising thoughtful kids who made informed decisions was very important.  That in the issues of style and appearance, we'd give them the freedom to make decisions with some basic guidance. But if they weren't harming themselves let them explore and fill in their own personalities.  

I didn't push for Sidney to get her ears pierced, nor didn't do it for her as an infant.  I simply decided when she was ready for the commitment (and pain), we'd support her in it.  She REALLY dislikes pain and when she made up her mind she could do it as a 7 1/2 year old, we supported her and made it a special event.

Charlie has wanted a full blown mohawk with colored tips since September.  Yikes, I wasn't ready for that from a then 5 year old.  Besides, we really loved the shaggy boy look that he'd grown in and it was our preference (key word our).  So it's summer, and Charlie's been dealt a crumby hand.  He had to miss the first half of the final day of Camp Invention today, which he adores.  We had 45 minutes to kill before his doctor's appointment, so we went to fulfill his wish.....in part.

He got a compromise, for a 6 year old, fauxhawk.  He looks so stinking cute with it!!  It is so his little personality to a 'T' and he's thrilled.  

And so it begins, the little challenges on allowing our kids to make decisions on their appearance.  The most important decisions are the good ones they make in life.  Having a strong sense of self, right and wrong, living with joy, problem solving, interacting appropriately with their peers, and sticking up for who they are.  And we're off!

Play it Again Sam

I remember when I lived in London, my flat was between two Tube stations.  I walked slightly further to the station at Knightsbridge  just so I could see these guys.  They were fantastic!  As I recall it was called  "Busking" and seeing them play made my day every time.

Today I was reminded of this when I heard a news story on BBC International.  It was about an urban art project called Piano's On The Street.  There have been 30 piano's placed in locations throughout London and simply labeled "play me, I'm yours."  

What a phenomenal idea!  I love hearing about things like the Playing for Change Foundation and something like this idea which inspires 'average Joe's and Jane's' to play randomly in public and is wonderful!  Part of the story included a woman who sat down at one of the pianos with someone she had met the day before (who was a stranger),  outside of a Tube station, and was giving him lessons.  

What do you think?  Are you up for the ultimate Karaoke??