Friday, May 29, 2009

Tree and Teeko.


Have I told you about Tree and Teeko yet? I think I may not have given them the proper attention that they deserve on this blog. See - chickens used to take up a huge space in my life and heart ... but now that the goats are on the scene, well, the chickens just aren't as much fun anymore (sorry girls). But, we did order 6 more spring chicks from our local Blue Seal farm store. And when arrival day came, we were late to pick-up ... so we ended up with just two (I have no idea how that can happen - as I prepaid for them).

The lady at the feed shop handed Isaac this sweet little "happy meal" shaped box, with his chicks inside and said ... "Two chicken nuggets coming right up." Funny ... and slightly morbid. Anyway, as we drove them home I asked Isaac what their names were going to be and he quickly replied, "Tree and ummmmmmmm.........Teeko." So, there ya have it. Our two new laying hens will have names that almost rival the new goats' names': "Emily and Me". This farm is getting more and more interesting. I shout, "Come here Me." to the goat. And now I will be calling out to a hen named Tree.

Speaking of names, as soon as the goats have their first babes, I am going to name Me's first kid ... "You". I so look forward to that.

Enjoy your day.
Love,
Jodi

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Seeing Green.


Oh ... the green all around us these days is absolutely magnificent. So many hues. So rich. Total eye candy.

I am loving every minute of the sunshine, the trees, the songbirds, the warm winds ... sudoku while lying on a quilt outdoors. I am savoring these pre-summer moments. You know ... the moments before the heat becomes unbearable and I lock myself indoors with a nearly frozen ice tea and a dysfunctional air conditioner.

But this year, thanks to my hubby, this house is going "solar". Thus, I am thinking that my days of using the a/c may be over (sucks up too much energy). However, in order to "Go Green", save money and live a more self-sustainable lifestyle ... sacrifices must be made (more details to follow). So - there will be more "green" this year than the year before. Perhaps not in the trees (though it does seem so) ... but more green in our wallets and more living "green".

We've got the laying hens, the milking goat, the garden ... and now ... the solar energy. We are on our way to a greener lifestyle ... and it feels good.

How about you? Any recent "greening" of your life?

Love,
Jodi

Monday, May 25, 2009

Remember.

Please remember that today is not about hot dogs and pool parties. Today is a sacred day for remembering our dead ... especially those who gave their lives for our country.



Thank you Pepere. You are my hero ... even now that you are gone from this earth ... I know you are still protecting me.

And thank you Mr.T for all that you did in the name of freedom.

Love,
Jodi (aka Babe)

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

I Have Chills. So May You.



This may be the most amazing project I have ever heard of in my life. SO incredibly wonderful - that I just can't stop smiling. Please check them out at www.playingforchange.com.

Enjoy every moment. Love,

Jodi

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Summer is Close at Hand.

I can't seem to get a handle on this blog, on the laundry, on my life. Days just keep zipping by as we prepare for our summer. The goats need feeding. The baby chicks have arrived. The chickens are laying more eggs than we know what to do with. The garden work keeps mounting. And all I want to do is lie on the grass and soak up the sun.

But I do manage to take a few photographs of the life that we are attempting to create here on our new homestead:


More pics to come.
I hope you are all enjoying your spring as well.
Love,
Jodi

Monday, May 18, 2009

Something New : For the Shop.

I continue to try to find new and creative ways to sell upcycled products for my etsy shop ... and at various craft show venues. Recently, I picked up some vintage POKENO cards at my local thrift store ... and decided to turn them into large sketchbooks (or score keepers for avid card players like my Dad).

I really like how they turned out:

Please check these out in my shop. Readers of my blog get 10% off if you mention my blog during checkout! I will send you an updated invoice when you do so. Thanks!

Oh - and remember, 10% of all profits go to the charity of the month. My products are good for the earth, good for you, and good for someone else.

Love,

Jodi

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Flying --- Forever.

For some reason - it seems I have taken a brief, unintended vacation from this blog. I am sorry to those of you who have been checking in to see what is happening in our lives ... with my Dad, the goats, Isaac's baseball, etc. I can tell you that all is well. Dad is back to work - with the help of my husband who will be driving the catering truck for him until he is able to do so on his own. The goats are just so much fun - and I hope to write more about them tomorrow - with more sweet pics. As for Isaac's baseball, I have taken to assisting the coach (for various reasons) and we are all having a great time --- though I feel fairly certain that this is not Isaac's game.

Anyway - I have got to tell you about this incredible dream I had last night. Maybe I feel the need to tell it so that I can remember it later --- to savor it and try to relive it --- or maybe it is because I see the relevance of it to my life and maybe yours as well. Lately, I have been having these incredibly intense dreams. So intense that I can hear them, smell them, and feel every touch within them. It has been both wonderful and horrible. Some dreams have had me running for my life, where my heart beat is so intense and sweat is dripping off my forehead -- both in my dream and once I awake from it. But last night --- oh, last night's dream is my favorite. Maybe my favorite of all time. I used to have these dreams as a child. But not since. And this one felt so good that I wouldn't mind living in it forever (except that I might miss a few loved ones). This dream did however take a turn for the worse in the end --- but I'd still live in it --- as I know that the ending is truly up to me and could easily be changed so that it remained *magical*.

Last night, I was flying. My arms were my wings. And I flew everywhere ... from over the brilliant lush woods of Northern Maine ... to over the bustling cafes of Paris, France. I flew everywhere my heart desired ... and I looked down upon some of the most glorious scenes. It felt heavenly. I could feel the rush of the wind in my hair .. I could smell the most wonderful smells waft up from wherever I was flying over ... and my arms and legs felt as free as they do while swimming in water. And perhaps that is the greatest feeling I felt while dreaming --- freedom. Total and absolute freedom. I was flying ... without wings ... and flying to wherever I felt a desire to be --- or to see.

I used to have this dream often in my childhood. Of course, my knowledge of geography was simple ... so I basically flew over my house and neighborhood. But it still felt so good. However, unlike my childhood dreams, last night's dream took a turn for the worse ...

Everywhere I flew people pointed up to me in awe --- in awe that a person could fly. Some waved, some smiled, some stood there with their jaws open wide in disbelief. But some were angry. Angry that I was flying and they were not. That is how the trouble began. Some people called their local authorities and complained about this flying woman. The authorities agreed with them that this flying woman needed to stop... for the good of all who could not fly. She needed to be captured. It wasn't right for me to have an ability that they did not. It wasn't right that I could fly everywhere --- as I might be act as a spy, etc. So, they pursued me ... in every town and every country. And because I needed to come down to land every so often in order to regain the energy I needed to fly ... I found myself having to run from people who were looking to capture me ... to confine me.

In the end, while running through some grass fields ... dogs and armed men at my heels ... I found a farmer who was willing to take me in without reporting me to the authorities. He lived in a run-down old house in desperate need of repair.... with a nearby barn also in bad shape. He would keep me safe in exchange for my working in his home and acting as his wife. The rules were that in exchange for his silence, I could no longer fly. And though this pained me so much, I agreed. I thought that at least -- with this arrangement --- I might have a later chance of flying again. But if I were captured, there would be no chance I would ever fly again. So, our deal was struck ... and I discontinued my flying. It was shortly after that - that I woke up. But I didn't wake up sad. In fact, I awoke with an ear to ear smile on my face. All in all - the dream was delicious. Had I found a way to escape the jealous mobs --- without seeking safety that would only entrap me --- I could have flown for the rest of my life.

And believe me, the metaphors inherent in this dream do not escape me for a moment. I see the connection that this dream has to my life right now. That is part of the beauty of it all. I see the connection and can thus make the needed changes in my life that will allow me to soar again. Dreams are so much more than fantasy ... they are most certainly windows into our subconscious. When our dreams receive the attention they deserve, they can tell us so much about what we need. Apparently --- I need to fly --- to soar --- without a safety net --- and without worry of what others are thinking or feeling. I will. Both in my dreams and in life itself.

I hope you will too. I promise not to stop you. I will wave and smile as you soar by ... knowing that we all can fly if we allow ourselves ... and one another.

Love,
Jodi

Friday, May 8, 2009

Serendipity Farm "Photo Shoot".

This past Saturday, I spent most of the day with my good friend, Tom ... photographing horses at a lovely farm in Bangor, Maine: Serendipity Farm.

Tom and I are both looking to work on our photography skills ... build our portfolios ... and just enjoy the company of a fellow photographer. So I made a phone call to a couple of horse farms to see if I could gain an invite for us to shoot some pics around their farms. When I called Val ... I knew her farm would be perfect. She was so inviting and appreciative. And I was right.

Val is an inspiration. She only began riding horses when she was 48 (I think) and within 10 years, if I have my story correct, she bought her dream horse farm and has been enjoying her life to the fullest. (Had she not said a word, I would have no idea that she was in her 50s! Living your dream makes you youthful, I think!) Her farm is so great ... has a lovely river in the background ... lots of customers ... several incredible horses and dogs.

I fell in love with one of the horses: Cashmere. And hope to return to visit her soon. Apparently, she would be difficult to ride, but Val has offered me a ride on another big guy when I am intersted. (When you put yourself out there - wonderful connections can be made :)

I have been SO slow in uploading pics from this great day, but some can be seen here. (I will continue to upload to this link as I am able). Some of Tom's pics can be seen here (he took the above photo - for which I am entirely grateful).

And speaking of collaborating with Tom - he is the best. Here is a man that has VERY limited eye vision --- but unlimited artistic vision. He is an inspiration to me and a great guy to be around. I highly recommend shooting with a friend, because you will both see things so differently, and can assist one another in differing strengths and weaknesses. I think I took better photos because of his insights and perspective. I hope I gave him some help as well.

Anyway - more photos will be forthcoming and some may even show up for sale in my shop. Meanwhile, I need to get Val a disc of the pics taken at her farm - as I always offer copies to those who are generous enough to invite me to expand my portfolio at their homes & farms. (Are you interested in a visit?)

Hope you have a wonderful weekend! I am hoping to get out and take some more photo goodies tomorrow.

Love,
Jodi

Monday, May 4, 2009

Seriously?

Seriously? Did my 4-year old Baby Boy just lose his first tooth? Are such things possible? He is only 4. I am not ready for this yet. He is my baby. He is not supposed to be growing "Adult" teeth yet!

Yes, I cried. Like a total freaky Mom. As though he were headed to college or something. And then my husband said ... "Wow, pretty soon he'll be asking to borrow the truck." Gee, thanks honey.

How is it that I can be a stay-at-home, unschooling Mommy ... who is around to witness his every move ... and yet, I still feel as though he is growing so fast, and that I am missing it all?

Love,
Jodi

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Enjoying the "Nubies".

We - Daddy, Isaac, Poppy, Bobo, various friends, and I - are SO enjoying Emily and Me. I truly never knew what a great addition these Nubian kids would be to our entire family. Now I can't imagine life without them. They follow me everywhere, play with us and the dogs, entertain us with their constant jumping antics, and actually love to cuddle.

But there is still so much I need to learn about them. I have read 2 books - cover to cover - about the care, keeping, breeding and milking of goats. I have joined a few Nubian Goat yahoo groups, and regularly visit my local Blue Seal feed store to talk "goats". But I still feel like I know nothing about them. Just like I did when I first got into chickens .... now the knowledge of their care and keeping comes so natural to me. It won't be long before I find goats easy to keep ... hopefully. And then I will have to add another species to our ever growing homestead. Next ... sheep.

Oh - and caring for farm animals makes for perfect homeschool lessons. Always a bonus. So - the more we get, the smarter my boy gets ---- at least that's the line I am feeding my husband.

Enjoy your day.

Love,

Jodi