So I’m 60. It sounds a lot older than it feels. I will admit to some aches and pains and bouts of forgetfulness but all in all, I feel good and getting older has its compensations. I feel less obligated to do things I don’t want to do and more able to ask for what I need and want. I feel freer to take some risks and step out of my box for the sake of trying something new. I spent time with family this weekend and also time with friends, old and new.
Here were the weekend highlights. I had a great evening with my family. I got a rain barrel. Now a rain barrel may not be glamorous but I really wanted one and this is a beauty. It has a screened top and a spigot on the bottom so I can hook up the hose and water away. This will be especially helpful for water my greenhouse. I also got a gift certificate for a kitchen supply store and pots and pans for the summer kitchen are in the works. Add in a trip to the bookstore sith gift cards from my sister and brother and I’m in Pig Heaven.
On Sunday, I was up at the crack of dawn to head to Cambridge to spend the day with Michelle (Gardengirl) and Jenna Wogonrich at Cold Antler Farm. I taught candle making (boring unless you enjoy watching wax set up) and learning to make soap. I have long wanted to see somebody do this and I do feel ready to tackle it. Some of my old pots will be dedicated to this process and I can envision making a year’s worth of lovely herbal soap in one long afternoon. I’m on the lookout for molds. Everything else (except the lye) is right here. I will pick an afternoon with no children around. There are some dangers to working with lye and I want to pay total attention to what I’m doing. I’ll also be looking for a used welding helmet. The face shield will be just the ticket for protecting my face. As part of our package from Jenna we got a nifty little soap making book. I can’t wait to try it.
It’s hard not to see what other farmers are doing and not catch one bug or another. Jenna had what I think is probably the cutest lamb on the planet and the competition for that title is pretty stiff. Of course, I went to sleep with lamby dreams. The bug was not helped by watching Michelle work on a totally gorgeous sweater. How cool would it be to make a sweater from lamb to wearing? Very cool. How likely? Not very.
I bought myself a new book. The Homemade Pantry: 101 Things You /Can Stop Buying And Start Making is a really fun read. Homemade Twinkies, peanut butter cups and filled chocolate cookies are in the offing soon. There is one funny line. It claims that the cookies will last for 10 days in the refrigerator. I’m thinking 10 minutes is more like it.
The great purge is ongoing in preparation for the clothing exchange this coming weekend. I think my junk has baby junk when I’m not looking and I’m quite sure my shoes do too. The work is loathsome but the gains will be well worth it. I think I can carve out an actual office in my bedroom if I get creative with the space. I just need to watch my propensity for letting stuff fill in the vacuum.
July 30, 2012 at 11:32 am
hey It was GREAT having you here, and I would be willing to barter a pair of spring fiber lambs (cotswold, merino, crosses) in the spring for a few more workshops out of you up here? Think about it, you get free sheep and I get to have you up here to talk about what you do best: prepping and Country Skills!
July 30, 2012 at 12:26 pm
I just finished Homemade Pantry (got it from the library to see if it was worth buying, and I’m thinking it is)–so great. Hope you enjoy it!
July 30, 2012 at 6:44 pm
I can’t imagine how they could *know* the cookies last 10 days – can’t have been a real world test! 😉
July 30, 2012 at 10:03 pm
I did a blitz on clothes and shoes recently and helped things in the closet. However yarn sales have been especially good lately. I make a lot of lap blankets and prayer shawls for the elderly and shut-ins. Since they need readily washable things, I use synthetics (which I don’t) like for myself. That is what has been on sale! So now I am loaded with yarn for an afghan the size of a city block! Storage has become a problem–my husband says that the boxes of yarn completely fill the house. Not quite, but close!!
July 30, 2012 at 11:00 pm
I’ve made a fair bit of soap and you really can use anything for a mold, bread pans, cake pans, Tupperware-like stuff, shoeboxes…just line it with butcher paper and you’ll still be able to use it for it’s original purpose afterward (with a good wash of course!)
July 31, 2012 at 9:58 am
Happy Birthday! Enjoy your rain barrel!
July 31, 2012 at 12:05 pm
Twenty-three years ago my husband gave me a stout English gardening fork for my birthday. His mother and mine were appalled that he hadn’t given me jewelry or clothes. I still use it today and like to think that both the fork and I have aged well. A useful tool is a thoughtful gift, and your family honors you by giving you what you want and need. Best wishes!
July 31, 2012 at 5:10 pm
“A useful tool is a thoughtful gift, and your family honors you by giving you what you want and need. ”
Well said, ddu.
And Kathy, Happy Birthday! (Sorry I overlooked that the first time.)
July 31, 2012 at 10:27 pm
Happy late Birthday!! What great gifts you recived, you are going to love that rain barrel. Thanks for the tip on a new book, sounds like a great one to add to my ever growing collection!!
August 15, 2012 at 2:33 pm
Happy belated birthday, Kathy!
~ kerry aka madison