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Revisit

January 11th, 2011 . Posted in Farm | 17 Comments »

My preface is “I love my new quiet life”. I think this probably goes without saying, but I will reiterate even at risk of being redundant.

I love being where I am now. I couldn’t be more thankful for the sparkly diamond snowflakes that are illuminated by my high beams as I pull down my long, curvy driveway after an evening in town. I love hearing nothing but the crunch of snow under my boots and the occasional blat as I trudge out, giant jug under my arm, to do my chores. (Never did get that frost free hydrant put in this fall). I love these moments, almost any given moment here with my children and my husband.

Thanks to the magic of the internet, I came across this awesome video the other day (which I recommend most of you NOT watch) which made me miss BME BBQs (when there were no crowds and then when there were throngs, the fire breathing, the tower, the mess, the cheese filled sausages which go against all food ethics I currently subscribe to); I miss freak shows (the falling ovations); I miss tattoo convention weekends (their people and their parties); I miss ModCon and burlesque troops and photo shoots and you know. All of that.

Of all of it, of all the shock and awe, the grotesqueness and the beauty, I miss the community the most. The sense of acceptance of practically any configuration of BEING. And oh, how many different ways there are to BE.

Having moved on from BME when Shannon left, and now having entered this new public club of Parents, things could not possibly be more different.

My old life seems so radically different. And so very far away.

Posting this video for all of you who have followed me here from BME and SG. And all of you keeping deviance alive.

Come When Called

January 6th, 2011 . Posted in Animals, Farm | 7 Comments »

May I present you with a little video of our happy herd on lush grasses.

I feel I need to chase that last post with some sweetness.

Justify This

January 6th, 2011 . Posted in Animals, Food | 14 Comments »

Need the push to stop buying animal products from the supermarket?  Added “eat better” to your list of things to do, or know someone who has?  Watch the next two minutes and a half minutes with your eyes open and you’ll be over the edge.  There is no reason to support this industry.  If you cannot be sure this isn’t happening to the animals on your plate, I dare you to add veganism to your 2011 resolutions.

I Resolve

January 3rd, 2011 . Posted in Farm | 10 Comments »

2011′s list:

1. Conquer our rascally book keeping.
2. Accompany my husband to the rifle range regularly.
3. Put some work into the house (instead of the goat shed).
4. Spend more time in our bush.
5. Move beams from back pasture and create raised beds.
6. Purge house of unnecessary junk.
7. Encourage the presence of bees, potentially with hives.
8. Better celebrate the changing of the seasons with the children.
9. Listen more to music and less to the radio.
10. Be more loving and patient with others. (Nag less).

You?

***Edit to add, my mother (whose house is immaculate) tells me I deserve to put a checkmark beside 2010′s #3. She is correct, our house is genuinely tidier than last year, however not as tidy as I would like.

Last Years Resolutions in Review

December 31st, 2010 . Posted in Farm | 9 Comments »

1. Make more vegetarian entrees.
CHECK!
2. Kill fewer garden plants.
CHECK!
3. Keep a tidier house.
CHECK!
4. Make new cheeses.
FAIL, though we have reduced our dairy intake significantly on purpose.
5. Tone up my pancake butt.
CHECK! That was until Thanksgiving.
6. Make out more.
CHECK! But anything would have been an improvement.
7. Drive the monster truck as a float in the Santa Claus parade.
BIG FAT FAIL!
8. Get a better grip on our books.
MINI CHECK. Did at least complete HST in somewhat timely fashion.
9. Drive standard. In traffic.
FAIL!
10. Make/maintain some actual friends.
CHECK! I am slightly less of a recluse.  Every little bit counts.

A bunch of you posted your resolutions here, if you want to let me know how you did!

Highlights of the Holidays Thus Far

December 29th, 2010 . Posted in Crafty, Farm, Kids | 8 Comments »

Daddy made wooden tattoo machines for the children.

They forcibly tattooed Aunty Julia’s face in a modern and benevolent reenactment of Polynesian torture.

Hat tipped to Dylan Thomas and our somewhere around 25th annual Christmas Eve reading of A Child’s Christmas in Wales, I bought my son a catapult.  Which he will construct with his father, who I will have to send to Canadian Tire for a bulk purchase of safety goggles for us all.

Two adorable little dollies which I should have made myself, but instead purchased from Etsy arrived for The Meeps.   (Acorn  hat!!  Meeps needs her own acorn hat!!)

The children also received art supplies out the wazoo and a bean bag toss I found at the craft show for when they are feeling like throwing things in the house.

I received boots from Aunty Julia.  Not just any boots, oh no.  Boots I have promised not to wear to do chores.  Like all of those city people who wear Hunters but have never stepped in anything other than a dog turd on concrete, I now own DRESS WELLIES!  My entirely practical winter attire comes exclusively from Canadian Tire, and I was offered a “new cardboard box to sleep in” recently, so this is a step up I am excited to embrace.

Though I have no picture of it, the absolute highlight gift of 2010, which we may never be able to top, was a handful of pulleys and carabiners and a whack of old rope.  Bob has been learning about pulleys lately and loving it, making simple pulleys just using string and a chair back.  His world was cracked in two when he came downstairs Christmas morning to see ashy footprints coming out of our open fireplace and a multiple pulley set up hanging from one of our big wooden beams!  We have since discovered the dog harnesses clip up very nicely…

Definitely a White One

December 23rd, 2010 . Posted in Animals, Husband, Kids | 14 Comments »

Best holiday wishes to all those Christmas Celebrators who read my blog!  I hope you have a wonderful time with your families and friends.  Eat, drink and be merry.  Just don’t do that second thing and drive, or I’ll have to kick your ass.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Candy with Some Gingerbread

December 22nd, 2010 . Posted in Crafty, Food, Kids | 9 Comments »

Inspired by GirlGoneChild, I set out to make a gingerbread house with the kids.  Way too much fun.  In true form, the kids preferred the black licorice “pipes” to all other candy.

Post 30

December 15th, 2010 . Posted in Farm, Husband, Kids | 23 Comments »

Well.  I’ve turned 30.  I’ve had no revelatory realizations about age, but I did make wicked spelt flour dinner buns in my new mixer.  (No rise, 5 minutes of kneading).

Nothing is different.  I’m just one year closer.  Each day feels like one day closer, this is just another mark of time passing.  Nothing spectacular.  Just another year of my life, gone.

If we are ever on a plane together, and it’s “going down”, like in the movies, and there’s this calm passenger just sipping their complimentary water, who clearly has accepted their fate…. well.  That won’t be me.  I’ll be the one you want to flog during descent, the one screaming hysterically “I’m not ready to die!  This is NOT the time!”

Part of me is terrified because how do you really know what is going to happen when you die?  As much as I used to enjoy a good party, I wouldn’t like to hang in hell, and reincarnation is about as appealing as an eternity of perpetual pap smears.  (ie. Let’s just get THIS ONE over with…)

I have participated in many religious and spiritual rituals.  I have bounded around a Maypole, lit my menorah and sat in the United Church listening to the meditative speaking of whoever that guy is who stands upfront.  I believe in something greater than myself because that was a revelation that I did actually have once.  It was when I was “Working the Program”.  I found “God As You Have Come To Know Him” (I think this is like “He Who Shall Not Be Named”) driving up and down the concession roads. I knew I needed to find something that could save me, that could help me save myself.  Something that would always be there, something both infinite and finite.  That something was pasture.  Dirt.  Both a speck of soil and a layer of life underneath all of us.

It worked.  It got me through the program.  I feel it, I’ve got it, I’m living it.  Except in the end, it all just returns to the soil.  The answer to The Big Question for me is “COMPOST”.  Terrific.  Nice going.

I’m also terrified of dying because I want it ALL.  I don’t want to miss anything.  Not only did I break a bad cycle, I bought 50 acres of my own personal salvation.  I have the most wonderful children, a husband I adore.  The idea of being separated from them, of being unable to help them, makes me feel ill.

I know there is plenty of life I cannot help with.  That should be, and is, beyond control.

I now WORRY.  I am often worried.  Not paralyzingly so, but pretty darn fraught.    I have never hated winter driving as much as I do now.  Every drive into town must be shaving years off of my life in stress.  “Let go and let God”, eh?  We’ll see about that.

So, yeah.  My new addiction is love.  And it’s kicking my ass.

Tattoodling

December 11th, 2010 . Posted in Tattoo | 5 Comments »

This is a little advertising on my otherwise advert free blog, aimed at anyone interested in getting tattooed at our shop this season.  If that’s you, read on!

My talented better half is having another one of his walk in days next Friday, which means that you would be able to bypass the wait and the waiting list and get tattooed same day.  He shows up to work around 8am and doesn’t leave until he’s finished.  If you’re interested please call ahead and drop off reference, so they day moves as efficiently as possible.

Also of note, Scott’s diminutive apprentice Choona Mel is now tattooing the public.  She will be pouring extra love and affection into her holiday tattoos and I am hoping I can find her at least one client who wants a Christmas Elf immortalized on their body!  Be that person!

On a personal note, I haven’t been tattooed in ages.  Whine, whinge, wail.  I think this is like the plumbers wife who has a leaky faucet on her bathtub.

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