I feel like our home schooling is changing…. I’ve been reading and thinking a lot about it. I’ve been reading a lot about unschooling lately. I also had an interesting conversation with a family friend who home schooled her two children. They are both now studying engineering at UF, and are doing very well. We…
Piglet Kiss
The piglets seem twice the size they were last week. They grow so fast! They are still cute as can be. It’s the way their little ears flap when they run. If they sense any sort of danger, they scatter, running incredibly fast, and hide. One evening as we were just about to shut…
Olustee 2015
Last weekend found us at the Olustee battlefield for the annual reenactment. We’ve gone most years, but we missed last year which was the 150th anniversary of the battle. Ethan was a major civil war buff since he was a kid, and he has an 1861 reproduction black powder muzzle loader he fires off for…
Nature Finds: Bagworm and Wingless Moth
The insect life has mostly been hunkering down and hiding through the cold spells (which have been very long this year), but the slightly warming weather has brought a few cool nature finds out of the woodworks. The first photo was easy – it’s a bagworm. I love the way they make their cocoons from…
Goat Gossip
(M’am, could you pick the perpetrator out of this line up, please?) Ethan says it was probably April on the far right – not for any particular reason, other than he says her Shrek ears haunt his dreams. She did turn out to look a little like someone did cruel genetic experiments on her (although…
In the Garden: Savoy Cabbage and Kohlrabi
It’s been so beautiful – except for Tuesday, of course. That was an awfully dreary day, although I’m sure the rye loved it. Hopefully the Snow Queen’s blossoms didn’t freeze in the cold spell last night. The garden is put to bed under the cold-protection again. The savoy cabbage was ready – it turned out…
Yarn along: Scandinavian-style Colorwork Sweater
The modified tunic/sweater with Scandinavian-style color patterns is coming along (my, that doesn’t sound very nice, does it? I’ll have to think of a different name for this – Still Light Sweater or something….) I finished the yoke and am working on the body now. I’m knitting plain grey until the bottom, so all I…
Nursing Cows
On Friday Matilda was not to be seen when I was getting her barley and hay ready to milk her. I thought it was odd, because usually she is hanging around the gate, practically tapping her hooves with impatience. So I knew something was up when I had to walk up there and find her….
Valentine’s Day Hearts (Refined Sugar-Free/Grain-Free)
This year was the first Valentine’s day we have celebrated in a LONG time, although goodness knows I’ve tried! I always have pink, red and white felt and construction paper on hand, and plans for heart-shaped desserts, but we always end up being sick. It all started five years ago when we got the Norovirus…
Growing
Piggies are growing – the weather has turned cold, but I think not as cold as was predicted. The garden is covered, anyway, and some hay was brought up to the piglet nest, just in case. Matilda’s milk that was at first so abundant is waning as the calf grows. I can hardly tell her…
In the Garden: Cauliflower, Onions, and Carrots
The cauliflower is ready! A major gardening victory – I LOVE cauliflower, but I have been unsuccessful growing it until this year! I have a few more plants, but I am definitely going to plant a whole lot more next year! I pulled the first planting of carrots. It’s my fault they aren’t nicer –…
Yarn Along: Colorwork
(this was me trying to pick out the difference between light gray and off-white, which was surprisingly difficult in our poorly-lit house) So…this year, I’ve decided my kids have enough adorable woolens. They hardly even wear them! I’ve spent the past two months freezing my feet off and trying to convince them to wear something…
Toadstools And Fairy Rings 