Gardening in January!

Today was wonderful in the Northwest!  We had sunshine and the temp was about 51 or so.  A perfect day to work in the garden!  Not only was it relatively dry and relatively warm, which is more comfortable for gardening, but evidently the bugs are still hibernating as I only saw one earwig! (Which I promptly crushed!)

As you can see below, I had some clean up to do in the herb garden.   For the past two years I have had a respite from winter in January, like we did today, and I have cleaned this garden and have been glad I did come April.  Looks like we are supposed to have two more great days next week, so I hope to complete the job.

South facing view of the herb garden.  Most of the green are weeds.

North facing view, with Berlios.  She won't let me do anything in this garden with out  her "help". 
The  tan stuff is dead alyssum, there are some live herbs waiting to be uncovered.

This is lavender which looks very sad this winter.  It needs a haircut.
There is also dead calendula making a mess of things but that's not hard at all to remedy.

Here we have two types of sage and a curry plant.  The green is weeds.

The sage really grew this summer.  I have a chive behind it in the corner,
so I will need to trim this down a bit.

I pull most of my weeds by hand.  I enjoy doing this because it gives me a chance to slow down and think my own thoughts, listen to the birds, and find little treasures like this one:

This is my tarragon thinking it is time to start growing.  I'm not sure if it is timing is right or not, but this herb goes from dirt level to two feet high every year and looks good doing it.
 I wish I had more recipes which use tarragon.

This is where tarragon calls home.  Not very conspicuous.
If I used a rake or hoe instead of hand weeding I would mess it all up.

Sage and curry corner complete!  Oh--and look what else I found hand weeding---
Camomile! ( green on left) I forgot I planted it, I'm surprised it was so hearty! I should probably put some mulch down to help it get through the rest of the winter.

Skinnied up sage.

Look what else I found!  I don't even remember what I planted here a few years ago....
Brushing up against it I can tell it is an onion of some sort, I think shallots.  I put them here mainly for pest control.  I think I will thin them this spring.

This is a bad shot of the right corner, but I had to show you the  rosemary, oregano and thyme.
I'm going to move the oregano in the back to another spot next week, it has over grown the spot.

As I was uncovering some English daisies which have self-seeded,
Berlios, thought I needed a little back rub.  I told you she was a big pest helper.

  Now for the save of the day!  The main weed in this garden is like an octopus.  It sends out arms that grow in each direction and run over and through everything it comes in contact with.  It is pretty easy to eradicate as long as you find the center and pull up gently.  Well, this is what I found under the mess:

3 tiny red- leaf lettuces!  I love when I find free food growing in my garden!  They self-seeded and now I am going to help them along by putting these milk jugs, with bottoms cut out, as mini-greenhouses over them.

Iron-Man came up with the idea of the rebar to secure them so they don't blow away.  He is so clever!
You can also see here one of the brussels sprouts I transplanted here in the fall.
They are doing well so far. 

I really hope this idea works!

Ta-Dah!  All done.  For today.

This is what I added to the compost heap.  Funny to think I'll be putting it right back into the garden next year as dirt again!  God has it all figured out!

King Of The Hill --Overview

I am not real wild about this book.  In fact, I won't recommend my other children to read it.
Far too much needless cussing, (is there such a thing as needful cussing?) and of the type that no Christian can tolerate without serious discomfort.  And to top that off, there are three scenes depicted in detail which I hope my children will never come into contact with, of which they have no need to ever come into contact with, and which serve no purpose in the book other than to point out the degenerate types of people in this world to which we can surely avoid.

On a positive note,  I contacted Bear's mentor for this class and told him of my disappointment in the book. I listed the page numbers of the objectionable content I found.  This was his response:



I appreciate you sharing your concerns with me. I was also
disappointed with the scenes in the book, but I feel that there are
valuable lessons and insights in King of the Hill that make it worth
the read. A strong advantage this book has over others is that it is
not a work of fiction; it's a memoir of an individual who was a child
during the Great Depression.

I am open to allowing [your student] to read another book (I've allowed other
students to opt out of reading books in the past), if there's one that
you have in mind, or editing the offensive parts out with a black
marker works as well.

Let me know what you decide. 

I thought you might like to know that I'm going to
recommend that all of my students skip those parts as well. I
appreciate your input.




We are participating in an online Homeschool Accredited High School this year, Williamsburg Academy.  I cannot speak highly enough of the Mentors, the curriculum, the program or the technology which provides for teachers and students to connect daily from all across the nation.  If you homeschool, you will benefit from looking at what they have to offer.


There were two scenes in the book which did touch my heart.  I will share one of them.


The setting is the Great Depression, St. Louis Misery Missouri, and our hero is a 12 year old boy.  He has one set back after another and is cheated out of money he works hard to earn by all the adults around him.  He anticipates earning six dollars and only receives 50 cents, yet in his disappointment decides to spend it to purchase a kitten for a sickly girl he has befriended.  It is a touching moment, when he puts the kitten next to the sleeping girl and she awakes to find her dream has come true!  He slips out of the room unnoticed.  Sweet.

Happy BIRTHDAY to ME! (Emphasis on Birthday and Me-- and said in Cuzco's voice)

We like to quote movie lines around the Farrm.
  We spend a lot of our time working, so when we do "let down our hair", we treat ourselves to movies, popcorn and staying up late on Friday nights.  Emperors New Groove is a classic around here!

"I'm SO happy!"

I received a birthday gift from my MOM!  She baked me cookies!

And MAILED them from Michigan!

They are wonderful.

Really nifty box.

Three dozen perfect cookies! (I already tasted a few) 

Made with coconut, pistachios and TLC!
Thanks Mom!

On this blustery January day, I would love to have Cuzco's birthday gift:

"It's my Birthday gift to ME!"

"When the sun hits these hills just right -- these hills SING!"

I'd like to be on a sunny hill somewhere...

but instead I find myself here:

So there is no alternative, I must make a pot of peppermint tea to go with the cookies

 and wait for you to come join me...

I'm waiting...

--------------------------------

Before the kettle had even started to whistle!---one of you heard my invitation and arrived on my doorstep with Birthday wishes, FLOWERS! and time for tea!!

Such a fun birthday surprise!  Thanks Linda!

And what a beautiful and welcomed addition of color to an otherwise dreary day.

Then I received a call from my Dad in Alabama, my Daughter in Idaho, and a visit from my Mother-in-Law who brought me a new jacket, and another friend who came bearing chocolate!

Plus I can't omit the blueberry pancakes my children made me for breakfast and the upcoming

dinner and movie night tonight!

I think I have had more attention this year than the last 10 combined!

There must be something special about 44!

Yes, I own each of my 44 years.

Which brings to mind another quote:

"With three younger sisters grown up, your Ladyship can hardly expect me to own [my age]."

But such is not the case with me.  I even own each of my grey hairs.  I earned them!

And that brings me to introducing tomorrow's post where I will chronicle my birthday trip with Anne to the Spa for haircuts, facials, pedicures --- basically a new me!

Beware:  I will have before and after photos!

To Kill a Mockingbird--Synthesis

One of the reasons I am reading To Kill a Mockingbird, is because I am a Homeschooling Mom.   As a part of "Bears" American Literature studies, he is reading the complete, unabridged works of various authors of American literature.    Since my own public school education did not include reading literature, I am also a Homeschool Student; that is the second reason I am reading To Kill a Mockingbird.  

I understand, from over 8 years of studying homeschooling and teaching, that the only way I can successfully teach is first to have knowledge, therefore I am reading, studying, annotating, assimilating and applying what I expect my children to read, study, annotate, assimilate and apply.

 Lead by example.  Inspire not require.

They watch me read the books they will be reading soon.   They hear me laugh when I relate to the diction used in the old south, they see me write down and look up new words, they hear me gasp at the brutal honesty of Scout.  They ask me:  "What!  What's going on?"  I tell them they will have their turn soon.  And you better bet it will be soon too.  The introduction to the book is a positive one and they want their turn!

Books are a wonderful way to come close to experiencing someone else's life.  Our sensitivities are stretched in ways we might not feel otherwise.  Atticus explained it this way to his daughter,

"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view--

--until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."

I will never be a teenaged Jewish boy growing up in New York in the 1940's, (The Chosen)
or a Slave in the old South, (Uncle Tom's Cabin)
or travel across medieval Europe to India, (The Walking Drum)
or walk where Jesus walked.  (The New Testament)

But I can learn from the experiences created or related by the authors.

I love to read truth.  To Kill a Mockingbird shows true charity.  Yes, it shows ugliness as well.  Opposition in all things.  We must taste the bitter to know the sweet.  In this story the sweet comes because one individual has decided to be charitable.  One.  That is all it takes.   One.   You.   Me.

To Kill a Mockingbird

Besides the fact that this book, in some ways, takes me back to my own childhood, I am enjoying this trip back to Alabama to meet Atticus Finch.  I appreciate the parenting wisdom he shares.

"I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand.  It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what.  You rarely win, but sometimes you do.  Mrs. Dubose won, all ninety-eight pounds of her.  According to her views, she died beholden to nothing and nobody.  She was the bravest person I ever knew."

New Year's Resolutions

I, Woman of the Farrm, 
resolve in the year 2011, to utilize much of my time, talents and efforts to strengthen, widen, broaden and deepen my intellectual capacity by studying great books.  As a part of my blog I will share epiphanies, fascinating quotes and even sea change which I experience as I engage in these classical works.

(See the sidebar on the home page-- "My Book List 2011")

I also invite you to join me if you wish.  Pick up a classic, something you have never read before, or read the list along with me and comment on the posts that will eventually come.  If you have never read a classic before, and think they will be too hard, or dry, I suggest starting with one from this list:  

(these are the some I have read in the past few years and LOVE)

The Virginian  By Owen Wister

The Chosen  By Chaim Potok

Uncle Tom's Cabin By Harriet Beecher Stowe

The Walking Drum By Louis L'Amour

The Hobbit Series  By  JRR Tolkien 

The Best of Sherlock Holmes  By Conan Doyle

All of Jane Austen's Novels

To be read aloud with children or for an easier read:

Freckles By Gene Stratton-Porter

Laddie By Gene Stratton-Porter

The Little Britches Series  By Ralph Moody

This Way to Christmas  By Ruth Sawyer

"Every child in America should be acquainted with his own country. He should read books that furnish him with ideas that will be useful to him 

in life and practice. As soon as he opens his lips, 

he should rehearse the history of his own country." 

--Noah Webster, On the Education of Youth in America, 1788