Detroit Zoo and a Week of Vacation

I just had a week off of work and enjoyed quite a bit of that time with my family.  Charlie had to work so I took my mom to Detroit for a couple of nights.  We spent one day at IKEA (I'm in love!) and the other we went to the Detroit Zoo.  It was incredibly hot, and we were disappointed that most of the animals were not visible because they were trying to keep cool.  We did enjoy the creatures we could see though and had a good, exhausting time.

They had a butterfly garden (not as big as the one they sometimes have at Frederick Meijer Botanical Gardens)

They had a nice bird exhibit -- there were some birds there I had never heard of.

Some tired, hot animals.

They had peacocks, but we had more fun looking at the pea-hens and chicks that ran around freely.

We were really looking forward to the arctic circle exhibit.  There is a tunnel under water and the polar bear swims around so you can get a close-up view.  Well, the seals were having fun swimming, but the polar bear would have nothing to do with it.  

We were very exhausted after walking all over the place.  Probably because we spent 3 1/2 hours walking around IKEA the day before.  Did I mention that I love that place?
After the two days in Detroit, we headed home to my place and relaxed.  We went to the coffee shop and a few stores in Frankenmuth before Mom headed home.  Then, the next day I headed to her place.  I spent an afternoon with my grandma, making our favorite veggie soup (to freeze for easy lunches).  I helped her get her Super-8 projector up and running -- and was able to watch a vacation movie from 1966.  We have many more to check out in the future.
Mom and I also made a quick drive out to Spring Lake, MI to visit Lake Michigan.  It doesn't feel like summer to me if I don't visit the big lake at least once.  I didn't get my feet wet, but we walked the fisherman's pier and enjoyed the lake air.
This weekend, Charlie and I have just been chilling out and watching the olympics.  Tomorrow I head back to work.  It is always rough after a good vacation, but it'll only take me a day to get back into the swing of things.

My Favorite Things - A Nice Hot Corn Bag

Just a quick post today -- about one of my new favorite things.  Mom made me two "Corn Bags" for Christmas and I have been enjoying them every night since then.  It is pretty self explanatory -- it is a fabric bag or pouch filled with field corn.  You can throw it in the microwave then take it to bed with you.  I have a large one that I keep on my feet, and a smaller one that I move around to where ever I feel cold.
We keep our heat around 60-63 degrees in the winter to help reduce the amount of money we spend on fuel oil.  Before Christmas, I would freeze when I got into bed.  Now I look forward to a nice warm cozy experience.  I fall asleep twice as fast too.
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday week this past week!  This Christmas was very pleasant for me -- one of my favorites.  I had today off for the New Year holiday, but I head back to work tomorrow.
I'm not making a bunch of New Year's resolutions this year -- because it usually ends up being the same stuff anyway.  I am, however, going to make a list of (fun) things I'd like to do this year.  I am off to do that now...
May you have a prosperous and peaceful year!

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies

Here it is, Christmas Eve again.  Charlie and I are enjoying a slow paced day together, listening to Christmas music on the radio, baking cookies, wrapping a few gifts, and preparing for my family to arrive tomorrow morning.  What a nice way to spend a day!

I just finished making some Peanut Butter Cookies that are moist and chewy -- and just happen to be gluten free as well.  I thought I'd share the recipe because it is so simple and tasty.  A friend from work brought these cookies to a potluck and they were a smash!  She makes them in her toaster oven and it works out just fine.  I've doubled her recipe and baked them in a 350 degree oven.  

Mix together:

2 cups peanut butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla

Stir the ingredients together well.  Form the dough into walnut sized balls and place on a greased cookie sheet.  Use a fork to press down on the ball a little and give the cookie that signature peanut butter cookie look.  Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees.  They will still look a bit moist when you take them out.  Let them cool for a few minutes then carefully transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.  The cookies are very fragile until they are done cooling -- despite my friend's warnings, I broke the first one I took off the baking sheet.
I also added chocolate kisses to some of the cookies after they came out of the oven.  Who can complain about chocolate on top of their peanut butter?!?

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Solstice or "Festivus for the Rest-of-Us".  Whatever you celebrate -- do it well!  Live it up!  Love one another -- spread Peace and Goodwill -- all of the good stuff that we need more of on this earth.  Stay safe if you are traveling.  Oh, and don't eat too many cookies.  :)

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope you and your loved ones have had a pleasant Thanksgiving Day -- I know I did.  I have so much to be thankful for in my life!
Yesterday was spent with my family a couple of hours away.  We went out for pizza to celebrate my Dad's upcoming birthday.  Today we spent with Charlie's side of the family having a more traditional Thanksgiving meal.  I brought the green bean casserole -- my favorite food on this holiday (besides pumpkin pie).
We are so blessed -- with freedom, plentiful food and clean water, work with decent wages, etc compared to the rest of the world.  Still, I find myself most thankful for my husband and our families and friends.  It is so nice to share the holiday with them and give thanks together.

Crop Tour and the Holiday Weekend

Charlie and I enjoy driving around the countryside checking out the various crops and taking in the scenery.  Corn, soybeans, wheat, sugar beets, pickling cucumbers, alfalfa -- the fields stretch on and on.  I enjoy looking at the pretty white farmhouses and the variety of barn styles and colors.  Every once in a while we come across something interesting.  The other day we found 5 or 6 flatbeds with hives of bees, busy with their work.  Charlie stopped the vehicle while I snapped off a few photos from the passenger seat.  Just as we began to leave, we saw the scene below...

I thought it was a lovely thing to do to some ugly pieces of concrete, don't you?  It also appeals to my inner-hippie.
Today I talked Charlie into coming with me to the Farmer's Market (he usually doesn't like getting up that early on a Saturday).  We bought cherries, some meat sticks for Charlie (elk and beef with pepper jack cheese) and a bar of soap - patchouli scented (that inner-hippie is on the loose again).  Oh, and don't forget the caramel toffee frappes from the coffee shop next to the market.  Yum!
After we got home, we moved the chicken coop to a fresh patch of grass and I finished my chicken chores.  By that time, it was getting very hot and humid outside.  I filled my galvanized bucket a few times to haul water around to the fruit trees/plants that I put in the ground last week.  By the time I was done, I was fairly wilted myself.  Since we don't have air conditioning, we ended up turning on the sprinkler and sitting in lawn chairs in the water.  It looked redneck, but it felt exquisite!
Tomorrow we take the long "crop tour" to Grand Rapids to spend an afternoon with my family.  We are going to eat all your typical 4th of July picnic food in the comfort of their air-conditioning.  Then we are going to try to make it back to catch some July 3rd fireworks in the evening with some friends and family from this neck of the woods.
I hope you have a safe and happy Independence Day.

Creative Juices

It amazes me what a few vacation days can do for my spirit.  I feel bursting at the seams with creativity right now but I'm not sure where to direct this creative energy.  It all started with a visit from my mother. We both needed some down time -- some girl time -- some anything-but-the-same-old-thing time.  On Wednesday our first stop was to a book store.  I found a publication called "Artful Blogging" which is giving me some inspiration (the photographs in it are lovely).  Mom got "Where Women Create" which showcases artists' studios.
We then went shopping in Frankenmuth.  We visited Those Nature People -- a wonderful smelling shop full of lotions, soap, oils, teas and spices, etc.  I found an oil blend to help me deal with my daily headaches that I get at work.  I also found more inspiration to get back into blending essential oils and making bath products.  It is something that I used to do, but have neglected for a long time.  Perhaps it is time to revive some of my forgotten interests and see where they take me.
We went to my mother's favorite shop -- Rapunzel's.  They have lovely home decor items, jewelry from local artisans, clothing and hats, and yarns/patterns for knitting and crochet.  She found a blouse and earrings for herself and I found a funky, eclectic purse which she ended up getting for me for my birthday (thanks again Mom).  I debated for a long time about whether I wanted it or not.  The purse is bright and has a variety of fabrics and textures.  It has some spirals, peace signs and some ॐ symbols (Om).  The purse resonates with me, but still I hesitated.  Mom said I needed to express my creative side more and I realized she is correct.  I have been becoming dull -- I need to liven things up in my world and get out of this rut that I am in.  Due to the nature of the internet (open to everyone and permanently out there) I cannot really go into my dreams and schemes that I am thinking in my head.  Let's just say that I am working toward de-rutting myself.
On Thursday, Mom and I enjoyed good conversation over coffee and a muffin at the Harvest Coffeehouse and Beanery.  More ideas swirled in my head.  Finally we went to Healthy Habitz -- my local health food store.  It turns out that they are opening a new space for a wellness center.  I am considering returning to doing some Reflexology on the side and that space is available to be rented for sessions.  Just one more idea to toss around for a while.
Eventually Mom had to go back home.  I still had a couple of days left of vacation and a husband willing to take me anywhere I wanted for my birthday.  Friday we went out to lunch together but I could find little energy for much else.  I think my body was trying to catch up for a lack of sleep from the long hours I've been pulling lately.  It was nice to take a day to just relax -- I even took a nap in the middle of the day.  I pulled some old photographs out and scanned them and posted some of them on facebook for friends to look through.  Yesterday, I worked outside.  I planted two blueberries, one raspberry, one blackberry, six sand cherry, two elderberry and one mulberry tree.  My knee is a bit sore from all that shoveling, but I'm feeling accomplished.  Charlie made a platform for the chicken coop to keep the chickens elevated above the wet floor (I think I mentioned that we regretted not having done this in the first place).
Today we are going to go out and enjoy the lovely weather after I finish this post.  First, I felt like using a bit of my rediscovered creativity to produce some art.  The photograph above was an image I made of some wildflowers and foliage I found in our yard.  I cut the flowers and arranged them in a small vase -- and I was pretty proud of how the arrangement turned out.  I used to arrange flowers in a previous job, another art that I would like to delve into again.  Anyway, I added some texture to the photo and de-saturated the color a bit.  I'm pretty happy with the result.  I am open to any and all critique of the photos.  I have been considering printing some of my images and matting them to sell.  Please let me know what you think.

Thank you for listening to my ramblings today as I strive to store up some of the "juices" that are flowing through my blood right now (to save for days of drought to come).

Mobile Chicken Coop and Garden Update

Two weekends ago we finally got around to making a more suitable summer home for the chickens.  The chicks were quickly outgrowing the brooder box they were staying in and we had to pull something together soon.  Charlie and I went to buy lumber and wire mesh, then recruited Charlie's father to help out.  That weekend we got a basic frame and the walls for the coop put together, but we ran out of time.  Charlie had to go out on the road for work and the chickens would have to wait another week.

Last weekend, we recruited Charlie's father and nephew to help finish up the project.  I mostly just painted the coop and helped attach the wire mesh and then stayed out of the way for the rest of the time (I supervised and worked in my garden).

The guys did a really nice job on the coop.  We didn't have any coop plans, they just started building it.  I think the only thing we regret is that we didn't make the floor of the coop raised off the ground.  We are worried that the wood will get soggy when it rains.  Other than that, it came together quite nice.  We extended the mesh on the floor of the coop, but not all the way in.  I wanted the chickens to have some room to scratch around without wire under foot.  Hopefully it is still enough mesh to keep predators out of the pen.  

The guys made sure that the coop is as secure as possible.  It has two doors that I can open to get to the food and waterer.  In the photo below, we used a large rock to keep the pen door closed for the last week.  This weekend, Charlie added latches to that door too so I don't have to keep moving that rock.  We have padlocks on all the latches.  Predators are going to have to really work hard to get into this coop.

We moved the ladies into the pen last Sunday night and they were a bit scared at first.  By morning, they were exploring the pen and enjoying the feeling of grass under their feet for the first time.  They love eating the bugs and grass and are thriving with all the extra space.  

My garden seems to be doing well this year, but it feels like it should be progressing faster than it is.  We are already one month past the last frost date and the only thing that I have been able to harvest are a few peas, some lettuce and some radishes.  I guess I got a bit of a late start on getting everything into the ground.  I have been doing pretty good at keeping the weeds picked out of the garden -- so far.  

The item that seems to be doing the best of all my plants so far is an heirloom pumpkin plant.  I had bought an heirloom pie pumpkin at a farm stand last year and saved the seeds instead of roasting them.  The pumpkin cost me less than a packet of seeds would have cost.  

I've also spent a good amount of time weeding my asparagus beds and adding more soil to them.  Last year the weeds took over the bed and I was worried I'd never get it under control.  Well, it is under control for now.  I'm hoping the asparagus will be strong enough next year to choke out any weeds that try to intrude.

Here is a photo of some radishes that I harvested yesterday.  This variety is English Breakfast.  I love the coloring on this variety.
I should get going for now -- I've got house cleaning to do and I need to feed and water the chickens.  I have to work Monday and Tuesday (23 hours between both days) then I have the rest of the week off.  It is my birthday next week and I am treating myself to some time off of work.

Weekend snapshots (from my cell phone)

I took a vacation day on Friday and headed to Grand Rapids.  Grand Rapids holds a special place in my heart.  Yes, my family and closest friends are there, and visiting them is very important to me.  But there is something else.  Grand Rapids has a particular "vibe" to it.  It is creative and diverse.  It has the feeling of a big city but the people are friendlier.  

I took a few snapshots with my new cell phone while my mother and I were out and about. We went to Global Infusion to get tea for kombucha making (I brought my mother some mother to make kombucha herself).  The store carries fair trade treasures from around the world and also a huge selection of tea, coffee and chocolate. 

My favorite purse came from this store.  After my first one wore out from use, I got another one.  I saw the same purse in espresso brown and almost bought it for when my current purse wears out.  I was strong though and resisted the temptation.

Mom and I also went to the Grand Rapids Art Museum to see the "Diana - A Celebration" exhibit.  I wish I could have taken photos inside, because the exhibit was very interesting.  I was, however, able to take a photo of the entry way.  Because we were there in the evening, there was a pianist and wine available as well.

This is the view directly outside of the GRAM.  On the right there is an ice skating area with free skate rentals.  The downtown area of Grand Rapids is lively and beautiful.  

My family said some magazine had listed Grand Rapids as one of the top ten cities in the U.S. that are dying out.  I was shocked!  I have to disagree with their conclusion.  Grand Rapids is alive and well -- and getting better day by day.  New businesses are popping up, and old buildings are being renovated and revived.  That is impressive considering the horrible economy in Michigan right now.  

Anyway, I sound like an advertisement -- I know.  It is probably odd, considering how much I enjoy living out in the country.
I am back home now and spent a relaxing morning cleaning and sorting through last years seeds to see what I need to buy.  The sun is streaming in to the south side of our house -- keeping the house warm and saving on fuel oil.  Charlie and I are going to get motivated and get out of the house.  I think we are going to use a gift card from Christmas and eat out.

Tea towels

By request from "starlighthill" after my last blog post -- here are some of the tea towels that my grandmother embroidered for me.  I adore the playful squirrels -- I use these towels all the time in my kitchen.

Here are some of my new towels that she gave me for Christmas.  Aren't they lovely?

30 years ago

Approximately 30 years ago this photograph was taken.  Guess who was having fun in a pile of leaves...

Farm tour and barn party

Saturday, we went to a dairy farm owned by one of Charlie's cousins and her husband.  Joan gave us a tour of their barns and showed us all the cows.  Later in the evening, they had a party for her husband's 50th birthday -- complete with a live Polka band and a large potluck (featuring cheese and chocolate milk).  Good times!  

got milk?

One of the younger cows

The bull -- and some of his ladies

Time to eat

Milking time

Cake by "Rose Knows Pastries"

The band -- "Polka Riot"

Let's polka!

Partying - late into the night

Fulton St. Farmers Market -- Grand Rapids, Michigan

Last weekend I went to Grand Rapids to visit my family.  My mother and I went to the Fulton street farmer's market.  This is the market that sparked my love for farmer's markets and produce stands.  We've gone to this market since I was a kid (which also brings up fond memories of making strawberry freezer jam with Mom and Grandma).  My best friends Jen and Rich and I even set up a stall once to sell our tie-dyed/hemp goods.  Now with the economy the way it has been lately, combined with the locavore movement and a yearning for a sense of community -- the market is packed!  It has artists and crafters, plants, meats/eggs/cheeses, and all of the fresh fruits and vegetables you can imagine.  I love playing with the repetition and color the displays create in my photos.