Winter Hike

We had a sixty degree winter day the other week so we headed with some homeschooling friends to the first part of the Signal Knob trail at the George Washington National Forest. The intention was only to go as far as a spring at the end of the first part of the trail.

When we stopped to fill our bottles my friend and I noticed that there was a beautiful rock formation we had never seen before ascending before us to a large outcropping . The children all decided quite suddenly to scale it, scrambling up rocks off the trail to the top of a large bluff. Before we knew it they were at the top and we followed in an awkward pursuit, babies on our backs. The view from the top was quite beautiful since the trees, without their vernal dress, could not obstruct the mountain on the other side of the gorge

I never knew these rocks were so close to the trail because I usually hike it during the summer months. It always amazes me how the seasons reveal a place so familiar to you, anew. What gave me pause to think, however was that, while my friend and I commented on how we had never noticed this formation before, we were content to simply take it in with our eyes.

It is children who are always willing to turn their gaze to some new thing, and then, to pursue it and glory so fully in the very gift of it. It was because of them them that we experienced the beauty of that place so fully. Unforntunately I left my camera in the car but here are some photos with the winter hikers.

These are the dollies I made for Christmas this year. I never got a good photo of them finished. My mother in law gave Angelica a book on how to make these years back and we finally learned this year.



Quick news from the homestead:


Rain again, still no snow in this strange warm winter.


Ronia learned to wave. She waves at everyone now. Yesterday she waved rather helplessly at her father as her four year old sister carried her out of the bathroom and into the living room.

I learned to fishtail braid on a Rapunzel doll no less. My hair is finally long enough to pull back again but it will be a while before I can fishtail it.

First week of pig slaughtering is behind us. Two piggies down, four more to go. I rendered lard and made stock yesterday. I'm really mad because I was doing too much and it got too warm because I was impatient at one point and so while creamy white, it is not as odorless as it could be. (oh to answer questions: We unfortunately do not have the resources to save pigskin. (not enough manpower to dunk the pigs into the vat of boiling water, however we did save the cheek meat this year! .... and Maggie, you can come by and bake bread whenever you want but set aside two days and spend the night because it is a long process. )

Day's begun. . .

I woke up this morning planning to go to the grocery store and shop. My parents left last week and I am all off my schedule of shopping which is usually Thursday or Friday depending on our milk pick up. Yet another part of my suburban breeding is my tendency to go to the store when I am out of a few basics. It really is rather absurd and I am trying to curb this habit.

As it so happened I also remembered that I am helping butcher our pig this weekend and we have a whole half of a pig coming. When I opened my freezer I realized that it was time to make space and lo and behold I didn't have to go to the store at all.

Out of the freezer came the hidden bounty. I made two pots of stock (pork and fish respectively) patè, malfatti (spinach ricotta dumplings), and potato ham frittata, and a batch of cranberry almond bread. I also soaked the beans and fed my starter for baking bread tomorrow.

Of course I spent all day in the kitchen minus a brief homeschooling hiatus. On the other hand to really make the most of one's cooking I have found that you need to spend at least one day a week making your basics anyway. Stock, beans, sourdough. All the time intensive ingredients you need to throw together quick meals that have that slow flavor. So it was gratifying to realize that just because I don't have apples and lettuce it is no reason to fly out the door and spend money.

Looking forward to sourdough pancakes in the morning.

A bed for Julia

I bought this frame from the bargain basement antique store in Strasburg. It was about 26 bucks. Ben made me bed slates out of our wood scraps out back.


stripped it. Cost- one buck in babysitting fees to my nine year old.



made a mattress out of a thrifted curtain and the stuffing from Julia's old bed (which was really an old futon on the floor.) Here Julia is testing it for me. Ronia wants to help too! Cost two dollars for the curtain.


The bed is painted green inspired by Carl Larsson's children's beds in their home in Lilla Hyttnà, Sweden. Cost 10 bucks in paint plus one buck in babysitting money to my six year old. Oh and one pretty glass jar full of q-tips is smashed while said six year old decides to entertain the baby by throwing all the toilet paper rolls around the bathroom.


All finished! Julia has a new bed and is no longer climbing into our bed at 2 am. Ronia has her very own mat for napping on made of futon remnant and we are all sleeping better! Total cost 40 bucks!

Okay so everything is still feeling new and different and I owe a big thank you to my husband who understands these things we call computers.

Messing with my blog here. I need to get my husband. My computer skills make me want to weep.

I found that photo of Julia and it made me melancholic for spring. I am very happy on the other hand that Julia is four now and not two anymore. That was a year of tantrums such as I pray we will never see again. You would never think it to see her all sweetly wrapped up in that blanket. . . . .

Nonno dishing out the polenta. We miss you already!


Ronia in her new Generation Y diaper cover. I really like these. They have a little flap that holds the prefold in place and come in many groovy prints.

Julia turns four!

Been spending my time winding down from Christmas guests, gearing up for homeschooling which we start up again next week, and refinishing a youth bed I bought for Julia. I am trying to photograph my progress, so I'll try and post some photos soon.