We’ve sold the farm.

We’re moving. Across the country. With 2 kids. At the beginning of winter.

Scribs and I have talked about going back to the east coast for a long time and I knew it was coming some day. Some day always felt like some far off, fictional day, that would come. Eventually. But here we are, fictional days in the future are now reality with all the insane stress that goes with it. Oh and we had 3 weeks notice. 3 weeks to figure it all out.

It’s a big move for grownups and it’s been really hard on the kids and we haven’t even left yet. They’re grouchy, whinney, crying over silly things, nervous, excited. It’s hard for their little brains to understand. I get it. They want to help pack as much as they can. “I can put this in a box?” “Is this donate?” “Will my new school have a jungle gym?” “I want to invite so-and-so to my birthday” “I’m going to miss...”

I put so much work into this place to make it our home. I finished painting the kitchen less than a year ago, it’s gorgeous! One day when I figure out where everything is, I’ll post about it. I scrambled to paint the last room in the house before we listed the house, it looks great. I should have done it years ago. Our garden this year was a bust. All of the tomatoes I canned didn’t seal properly. That sucks.

We spent our last days with our dog Honey here. Mr. A just learned to ride a 2 wheeler. We discovered nature (good and bad), planted and ate so much good food and watched the kids really learn and understand parts of the world around us. We had the most snow in 8 years, a few minor floods and some crazy wind.

Last week (I think?) Scribs and I were sitting in the hot tub watching the stars. It was the first clear night in a while.  I was reminded how lucky we are to live here.

I know the East coast will be great. The kids will be near family for the first time, there will be real winter, they will experience so much that we have lived without. Moving is bittersweet. It’s hard, and stressful, and exhausting. Especially while trying to keep some sense of normal of the kids.

This chapter is ending but there is a new adventure around the corner.


(I wrote this on my phone, excuse any auto-corrects or anything else that doesn’t make sense)

Possibly the most meaningful thing (to me) I have ever knit.

A few years ago when I was knitting stockings for my family I chose something 'fancy'. Something that was a bit of a challenge and really love the results. I opted not to make one for myself. I continue to hang the same stocking that has been hung on a mantle for the past 30-something years. It was made by my Nana, as was everyone's in my family (and extended family, and pets). It's simple, made with inexpensive yarn and felt. It isn't 'fancy' and it is christmas. 

I was and is important to me to make sure the tradition of handmade things continues for my family. I think that would have made my grandparents proud. The moment I found out that had a little niece or nephew on the way, I wanted to make sure I would be able to continue this tradition for them and their parents (whether they use the stocking or not isn't the point). I know what receiving this gift for my children would have meant for me. I hope it means the same for them. 

I remember my Nana always having her double-pointed needles on the go with some tinsel-laced yarn working on a stocking whilst chatting. I don't have my Nana to ask how exactly she made each stocking but I do have her tools, some of her needles are still in their original sleeves with their original price tag of a whopping .45¢

Attempting to reverse engineer my stocking wasn't necessarily difficult but it was daunting. I put a lot of pressure on myself to make it perfect, like Nana's. I counted and measured and swatched over and over until I was as close as I could get. I literally counted the stitches in a round and counted rows. And swatched some more, and finally committed to the needles and cast on. I have never checked and rechecked my work as often. 

I had this stocking finished months before I knew the baby's name. I had never attempted to embroider before! I don't have the best penmanship to begin with but I am really happy with how this turned out. 

I think I did my Nana's work justice and she'd be really happy to see her legacy continue. Each stitch was knit the same way, on the same needles as the originals. I'm really proud of this simple stocking for my much-loved niece. 

Eggs!

The girls are finally laying after a rough winter for them. The majority of them had a hard molt in the fall, a freezing winter without a lot of outdoors time and being miserable leads to a lack of egg production.  Spring is officially here in the Pacific North West! The tulips and daffodils are up, weeds are growing everywhere and the trees have tiny little buds. The girls are enjoying foraging for bugs most of the day, taking dust baths and getting into their usual trouble. 

During March most of the chickens started laying again. We had 168 eggs! So far each day of April they've laid 9 eggs a day. I think I have 4 dozen in my fridge. Hopefully those will be gone this week, sold or otherwise. 

I've started my spring cleaning and chores. The garden is about a quarter of the way ready to be plowed. The berries are in their new homes and I've planted some trees and hedges. Don't worry I'll do a proper update on everything. I still have some forsythias to be planted in their new home. I really like planting trees. 

Anywhoo back to the chickens. They're coop needs a good deep cleaning, that's going to be a big project. I'd like to replace their roosts, sand their nesting boxes and replace the poop-deck. I haven't put it back in since the coop blew over last year.

So many things to do!

Snow!

I can actually say we have snow on the ground! And a lot of it! I always hated winter and snow but now, perhaps it is just the novelty of it, but I am loving it! The kids have never had real, stick to the ground snow.

There has been inch or so a few times before. Last year, and this year in November and December... once. We made the most of those little glimpses of winter. Bundling up (like snow ninjas), making soggy snowmen, coming in soaking wet and sipping hot chocolate by the fire. Walking to school was an adventure! Mr. Lovebug was a snow plow on the bridge and we caught huge snow flakes on our tongues.

This past week we had SNOW! Real, stick to the ground, play- in snow. We built a megafort, threw snowballs, ate icicles and came inside caked in snow with glowing pink cheeks.

Now it is above freezing and raining and soon our magical play thing will be gone. Gone for how long, we don't know. I'm so grateful that we had this snow week. School has been canceled for the whole week. The roads are a mess, they have no idea how to cope with snow in Washington! I can hear the ice on the roof cracking as I reminisce on our small peek at real winter.

There was a coyote in our yard (not the field). It took off when I went out there, I'm guessing it was just hungry and looking for some mice snacks....or chickens. Not on my watch, friendo!

Nature baby climbed on the hill I made after the first snow. We really weren't expecting it to continue. And then, behold mega fort! Which became a drift taller than me. The kids climbed, slid and jumped for hours.

Honey wasn't having any of it and it was hilarious. 

Today, it is raining. Everything is covered in ice from freezing rain. The trees are heavy, all you can hear whilst the wind is blowing is the ice cracking as the trees bend and break. It's loud and beautiful.

The snow will soon be gone and we'll be back to rain. Rain. Rain. More rain. The snow will be missed as I pack away our winter gear in the upcoming week. 

The maple syrup still runs thick through my veins. 

Kitchen redo: before

Good gravy I think I've lost my mind! I have decided to paint my kitchen, top to bottom and will probably be starting next week! I'm really excited for this one, but I know it's going to be a tremendous amount of work and halfway through I'm going to think I have made a huge mistake, but the outcome I know will be glorious!
Why do I think I've lost my mind?  Well, Thanksgiving is a few weeks away, and we've got a certain boy's birthday party between then and Christmas. Plus, you know life. Feel free to send the men in white coats to take me away!

Here's what I'm working with.

These pictures are almost two years old, (I can't believe that!) and the faucet has been replaced but other than that it's the same. 

The cabinets are so dark! They also match the floor. I don't get it but hey, that's how life goes. The ceiling is the same... baby yellow as the walls (again, why?!)

Cleaning the years of grease and grossness off the cabinets, walls and ceiling is going to be the worst and probably most time consuming part. I don't even know how I'm going to get the ceiling clean enough. Thanks textured ceilings.

First up,  cleaning all the gunk from the ceiling. That will take, 3 days, I'm guessing. 3 days. On the ceiling before priming and paint. That alone makes me not want to do it!

I'm putting it out there, so now I have to do it! After reading and watching every video on the subject I'm confident that I can do it. Have you painted cabinetry before? Any tips?

I'm not dead, I swear. Look here's pictures!

Well, Hi there!
I know, I know I've been M.I.A. for the WHOLE summer. Sorry! But you know, life. I have a few posts coming up so I haven't been doing a whole lot of nothing!

Here's a quick update of what has been going on around here. We had a crazy summer, the garden was fantastic! I did a lot of canning! New things too, more on that to come.

The chickens continue to be... idiots. We haven't lost any more. They are currently molting (loosing and regrowing feathers for you non-chickeners).

Nature Baby turned 3! I'm not sure how that happened. Again more on that to come.

I knitted some things, they'll come too.

Scribs was traveling for work  for a month this summer. So flipping long! I, thankfully, had some help from the kid's Fairy God Mother Xina and my parents. The kids were crazy. While Scribs was gone I started to re-do our bedroom as a surprise anniversary present for both of us. That'll come too.

Um.... I think that's about it. I'm going to try my best to get back into the swing of things. I have several months of cost per dozen to do.

Things will come, I swear! I hope you enjoyed some of the pictures from our summer.

How was your summer? Tell me everything!

Garden update

Progress in the garden this year has been slow. And I mean at a snail's pace slow. The weather hasn't been great. This spring has been all over the place, nearly 90 one week and then barely into the 60s with lots of rain. Lots of rain means no bees flying around, no bees means less pollination which means less vegetables. Enjoy that little biology lesson? So far July has been pretty crummy too, it's only in the 60s. 60s! It's freaking July!

A lot still hasn't germinated, my poor beans didn't even bother to show up, so I replanted them and only 1 out of about 2 dozen was popped up. I think I have a bum batch, we'll see once the sun finally makes an appearance again.

There is some good news, we do have a some teeny-tiny tomatoes growing from the plants I started from the Ratatouille kit . Only one pepper plant has been eaten by rabbits, and the chicken fence is up around the garden. No free for all this year girls, sorry! The peppers are flowering and even growing tiny peppers! Hopefully we'll get a few this year. 

Every time I have attempted to go out and take real photos it has either been raining or started raining as soon as I put the camera together. So it goes. I did manage to get a few photos last week, and since then there has been progress!  We actually had some spinach and lettuce salad from the garden. It looks like the spinach is getting ready to dart. Bummer.

Our cucumbers are getting there, I have about 4 that are ready to be picked, not quite enough for a jar.  Soon! The first zucchini will be ready this week too. We'll see what happens with the rest. I'm not holding my breath. 

How's your garden growing? Hopefully a bit further along than mine!