One of the Marina di Choggia pumpkins we pulled out of the garden in August Thai Red Roselle Down here we don’t get the stunning fall leaf display the way it happens up North. There are beautiful leaves to find, but the landscape is never lit up with brilliant reds, yellows, and oranges. …
Author: toadstoolsfairyrings
Yarn Along: Lace
The cat insisted she be in the photo – I swear I didn’t set it up around her. It was all I could do to keep her from sitting on the lace. I mentioned in a previous post that I had tried in vain to find lace knitting patterns on Ravelry. I found a few,…
Tired Puppies
We picked up two Great Pyrenees puppies on Saturday. They are still little roly-poly bundles of fluff, but I could tell that they had grown since we had visited them just two weeks ago. Everyone was so excited. Puppies to play with! We have never had a puppy before, having gotten our previous dog Belle…
Rose’s Ninth (And A Nausicaa Dress)
Today is Rose’s ninth birthday. She has the last birthday of the year in our family, and it is always so hard for her be last. I think that’s why she always insists on a little extra celebration – like two birthday cakes, instead of one (they are the same kind of cake, at…
Planning For Abudance
Last week I finally got the first part of my winter garden built and planted. The surviving starts were settled carefully in, and radishes, turnips, and lettuce were seeded. This year, above all other years, I am planning for abundance. We need it. This lean season has felt leaner than any season…
Piglets and Puppies
Last week we brought all the piglets to their new home at Full Circle Farm. They were able to duck under the electric fence, and had been becoming more and more of a nuisance. It was cute having them drift around like a group of little spotty sausages, but they would get into…
The Week of Birthdays
Every day is so full of things to do, I am always working on something. There has been no time for involved cooking projects, French translations, knitting or writing. I have also been too busy to enforce the chore lists for everyone, and most of the time end up doing it myself because it’s easier. …
Back To Homeschool
We started homeschooling again last week. It is nice to be back to fall structure rather than the loose, unplanned summer days. I realized we actually do homeschool year-round, but with different styles. Very structured schooling in Fall and Spring, unschooling in Summer. It seems to work well that way. Beginning of summer, the children…
In The Garden: Late Summer Foods
The summer garden is winding down – even the eggplants and okra have slowed down and are looking stalky. The bushel gourds are still ripening, but the last of the pumpkins have been pulled out of the garden. Half the garden is fenced off with electric netting, and the pigs are helping prepare…
Goings-On
It’s been busy around here lately – getting ready for homeschooling again after our summer break (more on that later!). We caught two raccoons who were pilfering the barn. They were extremely sleek and plush. We’ve tried so many things already to deter them…locking, rodent-proof bins with cinder…
You’ve Got To Be Kidding….
The baby goats are two months old now – time to be weaned! On Saturday we spent hours rounding them up. We are putting them in the orchard, as it hasn’t been grazed in ages, and could use a trim. Besides, they can all slip through the weaning paddock gate this year. When…
1846 Lace Mystery
I’ve mentioned before my latest inspiration to learn to knit lace. One day I spent searching all over Ravelry for knitted lace patterns, and was surprised that there was almost nothing. I know it must be possible, and was commonly done, because I’ve read in Victorian and Edwardian novels about ladies knitting lace, but sadly,…
Toadstools And Fairy Rings 