Sunday, July 7, 2013
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Snapshot Saturday - Allow me to introduce you to "Our Haven"
I fell in love with it the first time I saw it. The sense of peace, rejuvenation, and home has only increased since it became ours. Not too long after we moved in, our daughter said, "Mom, this has always been our home."
It is Our Haven in more ways than one, and I think we have always belonged here.
all images copyright "Our Haven" 2013
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| one of my favorite views - from the balcony of my bedroom |
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| a place to breathe |
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| a place to hide |
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| our future jam/jelly garden - I think. Not sure if it gets enough light though |
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| overrun garden - or therapy? |
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| view from the deck up to the barn - What's that? A sunny day in the PNW? |
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| The Picnic Patio - a place to escape the rain or sun, play a game or read a favorite book. |
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| View across the deck |
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| Future focus of Mystery Plant Monday I think - Pretty, but what is it? |
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| The "full-sun" bed - a work in progress |
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| The Grotto - a future river hideaway. A great place to cool off or fish! |
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| One of the Goddesses favorite places to relax during the day. My garden shed is in the background, the barn roof is peeking out the top center. |
Friday, July 5, 2013
Fabulous Friday - Remedies, Recipes, and Cleaners
I have been converting the cleaning products I use to all natural and home made for quite some time. I either made or purchased awhile, a "natural" version as one of the regular bands I had already had ran out -- I didn't want to just throw out good money which is what I would be doing if I tossed a 1/2 empty bottle of 409 or something.
Why would I go to the trouble? I want to get away from the harsh cleaning agents and limit the chemicals my family is exposed to. It will be better for our septic system in the long run as well. After all, my grandma was able to clean just fine with vinegar, borax, baking soda, and some muscle.
The recipes are out there, and they are plentiful. One weekend I tried a recipe for laundry soap that someone had Pinned. I thought, why not. I tried a liquid soap recipe but something wasn't quite right about it (whether it was cook error or recipe, I'm not sure). So, it was back to the drawing board - or supermarket for me. . .
One if the switches I made was to Mrs. Meyers. It does a good job, I love that I can tailor the fragrance I use, it's OK with my septic system, and the best part - I can just pick it up of the shelf. The down side? It's as expensive as the other stuff - definitely not a way to save money. Still, it was a good transition given the convenience.
Now that it's summer, and I have more time (and I'm almost out of soap) I thought I'd give it another try. In my test kitchen today - laundry soap for HE machines. Most recipes were variations of the one I eventually used - can't wait to try it on towels.
Ingredients & supplies:
An airtight container (gallon size at least)
cheese grater
food processor
4 cups Borax
4 cups Washing Soda
2 bars grated bar soap
I used Ivory, cause it's what I had on hand - other recommendations are Castille or Fell's Naptha
2 cups Oxiclean (dye and fragrance free)
There seems to be great debate as to the "naturalness of this product" but I leave it to you to decide - it has Sodium Carbonate (washing soda) and Sodium Percarbonate (basically hydrogen peroxide in solid form which probably explains why it works so darn well.
10-15 drops Lavender essential oil
You could also use TeaTree, Camomile, or whatever you prefer - just remember a little goes a long way.
Steps:
1. I ran the powder 2 cups at a time through my Vitamix (except for the Oxi - it was already very fine).
2. I added each portion to my airtight storage container
3. Mixed it it all together once I was done (next time I'll add the soap last - I discovered it stuck to the container a bit when I mixed it)
4. Added the essential oil, put the lid on and gave it a shake.
2 tablespoon for regular loads and 3 tablespoons for heavily soiled loads should be plenty, I'll let you know.
I didn't think to stop and take pictures along the way. I have to remember that for next time.
Also, I did some extra research and feel safe using this recipe with our septic system because there are ZERO phosphates and ZERO fillers. That means there's nothing to harm necessary septic bacteria. Yea!
Why would I go to the trouble? I want to get away from the harsh cleaning agents and limit the chemicals my family is exposed to. It will be better for our septic system in the long run as well. After all, my grandma was able to clean just fine with vinegar, borax, baking soda, and some muscle.
The recipes are out there, and they are plentiful. One weekend I tried a recipe for laundry soap that someone had Pinned. I thought, why not. I tried a liquid soap recipe but something wasn't quite right about it (whether it was cook error or recipe, I'm not sure). So, it was back to the drawing board - or supermarket for me. . .
One if the switches I made was to Mrs. Meyers. It does a good job, I love that I can tailor the fragrance I use, it's OK with my septic system, and the best part - I can just pick it up of the shelf. The down side? It's as expensive as the other stuff - definitely not a way to save money. Still, it was a good transition given the convenience.
Now that it's summer, and I have more time (and I'm almost out of soap) I thought I'd give it another try. In my test kitchen today - laundry soap for HE machines. Most recipes were variations of the one I eventually used - can't wait to try it on towels.
Ingredients & supplies:
An airtight container (gallon size at least)
cheese grater
food processor
4 cups Borax
4 cups Washing Soda
2 bars grated bar soap
I used Ivory, cause it's what I had on hand - other recommendations are Castille or Fell's Naptha
2 cups Oxiclean (dye and fragrance free)
There seems to be great debate as to the "naturalness of this product" but I leave it to you to decide - it has Sodium Carbonate (washing soda) and Sodium Percarbonate (basically hydrogen peroxide in solid form which probably explains why it works so darn well.
10-15 drops Lavender essential oil
You could also use TeaTree, Camomile, or whatever you prefer - just remember a little goes a long way.
Steps:
1. I ran the powder 2 cups at a time through my Vitamix (except for the Oxi - it was already very fine).
2. I added each portion to my airtight storage container
3. Mixed it it all together once I was done (next time I'll add the soap last - I discovered it stuck to the container a bit when I mixed it)
4. Added the essential oil, put the lid on and gave it a shake.
2 tablespoon for regular loads and 3 tablespoons for heavily soiled loads should be plenty, I'll let you know.
I didn't think to stop and take pictures along the way. I have to remember that for next time.
Also, I did some extra research and feel safe using this recipe with our septic system because there are ZERO phosphates and ZERO fillers. That means there's nothing to harm necessary septic bacteria. Yea!
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Therapy Thursday - today in the garden . . .
In February, I was itching to plant. Since it was still too cold, I perused the garden catalogs and put in an order instead. Then the beauties began to arrive - and I wasn't ready for them. Most of the bulbs and dry root stock I ordered came right in the throws of report cards, closing my classroom, and moving my daughter home. Needless to say, getting them in the ground fell to the bottom of my priority list.
Two weeks ago, they at least made it out of their boxes and I got them sorted: shade, part shade, full sun. That's as far as I got. They still looked good - but I knew it would serve me right if they dried out or rotted. I knew better, but sometimes it is what it is, we have to breathe and let go.
I think the thing that was feeding my hesitation was that the beds where I think I want to put them aren't ready yet. They still need A LOT of work in the weeding and stump removal area. Let me just admit right here - I put the cart before the horse and now I have to deal with the situation.
The planting directions said they should be soaked for 1/2 hour before planting. I had this brilliant idea (think brain on summer vacation) to leave them in their bags while they soaked so I wouldn't mix them up. Well, by the time I got to planting them (way more than 1/2 hour), the ink had come off the labels so I had no idea what was what anyway. LOL ^.^
I decided that I would plant them in pots to be transplanted later when I got the beds ready.That way I could also determine which, if any, weren't going to make it after all. I labeled what I could decipher and put question marks to the rest - it'll be like getting surprise gifts!
Two weeks ago, they at least made it out of their boxes and I got them sorted: shade, part shade, full sun. That's as far as I got. They still looked good - but I knew it would serve me right if they dried out or rotted. I knew better, but sometimes it is what it is, we have to breathe and let go.
I think the thing that was feeding my hesitation was that the beds where I think I want to put them aren't ready yet. They still need A LOT of work in the weeding and stump removal area. Let me just admit right here - I put the cart before the horse and now I have to deal with the situation.
The planting directions said they should be soaked for 1/2 hour before planting. I had this brilliant idea (think brain on summer vacation) to leave them in their bags while they soaked so I wouldn't mix them up. Well, by the time I got to planting them (way more than 1/2 hour), the ink had come off the labels so I had no idea what was what anyway. LOL ^.^
I decided that I would plant them in pots to be transplanted later when I got the beds ready.That way I could also determine which, if any, weren't going to make it after all. I labeled what I could decipher and put question marks to the rest - it'll be like getting surprise gifts!
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Wishful Wednesday - There's gotta be a better way of doing this...
I love my Goddesses (chickens) - I do. Sometimes, however, it's like having another pet around. Even when they range about most of the day like ours do, there's still maintenance that needs to be done.
It's kind of like having cats - LOVE having them . . . dealing with all the husbandry that goes with? Not so much. Cleaning the chicken coop/run is rather like cleaning the catbox: It needs to be done regularly and completely sanitized every so often.
Cleaning the run and coop with the little scoop and pail I was using was taking it's toll on my back, not to mention using precious time. This is where my Wishful Wednesday comes in. The other morning I was trolling my favorite chicken pages, doing research on the care and keeping of the little creatures (I'm a new chicken mama!) when I read about how someone made basically and extra large cat scoop out of wire and a rake. I thought I'd give it a try.
I used some of the extra hardware cloth from building our run to create the mesh and wired it to a hay fork -- I don't know what it's called, found it in the barn :)
Here it is all finished. It took me the better part of an hour but I had a great view while I worked (I parked myself on the deck, listened to the river go by). It turned out exactly as I wanted.
I wire fit it to make it really tight using 15 gauge wire (made my own twist ties). Then fastened the cloth to the pitchfork. It works GREAT!
Here's our coop and run. It is fully enclosed for their protection. We used hardware cloth instead of chicken wire for it's durability and to protect against predators (like coyote, bobcat, weasel, hawk, eagle, bear - yes, I said bear 'cause that's where I live).
They've gotten SO big in just the few weeks we've had them. The Goddesses are about 14 weeks old. The little bits (in their separate "look but don't touch area" while I'm trying to integrate flocks) are about 10 weeks.
Look how nice and clean the run is - and my back isn't sore in the least.
Love it when incentive and ingenuity work together to make wishes come true!
It's kind of like having cats - LOVE having them . . . dealing with all the husbandry that goes with? Not so much. Cleaning the chicken coop/run is rather like cleaning the catbox: It needs to be done regularly and completely sanitized every so often.
Cleaning the run and coop with the little scoop and pail I was using was taking it's toll on my back, not to mention using precious time. This is where my Wishful Wednesday comes in. The other morning I was trolling my favorite chicken pages, doing research on the care and keeping of the little creatures (I'm a new chicken mama!) when I read about how someone made basically and extra large cat scoop out of wire and a rake. I thought I'd give it a try.
I used some of the extra hardware cloth from building our run to create the mesh and wired it to a hay fork -- I don't know what it's called, found it in the barn :)
I wire fit it to make it really tight using 15 gauge wire (made my own twist ties). Then fastened the cloth to the pitchfork. It works GREAT!
Here's our coop and run. It is fully enclosed for their protection. We used hardware cloth instead of chicken wire for it's durability and to protect against predators (like coyote, bobcat, weasel, hawk, eagle, bear - yes, I said bear 'cause that's where I live).
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| Hen Haven: Our coop and run houses 14 birds. |
They've gotten SO big in just the few weeks we've had them. The Goddesses are about 14 weeks old. The little bits (in their separate "look but don't touch area" while I'm trying to integrate flocks) are about 10 weeks.
Love it when incentive and ingenuity work together to make wishes come true!
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
To Do List Tuesday - trail signs
One of the little things on my list of To Do's is to touch up the trail signs. They are very weathered. So with sandpaper, whitewash paint, and brush in hand, off I went. I changed one that said "Picnic Shed," which I really didn't like - it's not a shed, more of a patio. I'm pretty happy with how they turned out.
Of course one thing led to another and I got working on one of the other signs that were bugging me. It's a work in progress - not sure how I feel about it yet. The good news is if I don't like it, I can always sand it down and start over.
I sanded both and gave them a base coat. This is the one I started working on first. I painted some vines on the frame and then worked on what I wanted it to say.
Almost finished. I haven't painted anything like this in awhile, I'm out of practice. I don't hate it, but I don't love it either - we'll see what it looks like when I'm done.
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| supplies |
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| before |
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| after |
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| These were attached to our the pizza kitchen off the deck. The large one needed some work; the other is getting an update. |
I sanded both and gave them a base coat. This is the one I started working on first. I painted some vines on the frame and then worked on what I wanted it to say.
Almost finished. I haven't painted anything like this in awhile, I'm out of practice. I don't hate it, but I don't love it either - we'll see what it looks like when I'm done.
Here it is finished and installed. It turned out better than I anticipated considering I haven't done decorative painting in a few years:
Monday, July 1, 2013
Mystery Plant Monday - What is this tree?
My first post for Mystery Plant Monday, where I sleuth out the details of a puzzling plant or tree at Our Haven so that I know how to care for it or whether I want to continue with it, is for this lovely tree:
See how nice and clean it is now? When we first moved in, this bed was a mess. Raspberry brambles had choked nearly everything. This poor tree looked very sad, especially with no leaves (remember, we moved in in October).
I'm not one for getting rid of the old and putting in new, but the thought crossed my mind after the umteenth hour of weeding and clearing just so the established plants could breathe. It looks like once upon a time there was a very large fir tree (the trunk is still lying across the bed, now covered with other plants). I don't know how long the ferns will last in the abundance of sun the area now gets, but we'll see. Back to the tree. . .
After some judicious pruning, and removal of the brambles that were choking it, I gave it some tree vities and waited. I am much better at recognizing trees in bloom, and with only the trunk and branches to clue me in, I had no idea what this was.
Here it is last month. Looking healthy, and much happier. This reminds me, I want to research the variety of rhododendron seen in the picture. They were quite stunning. The flowers emerged peachy-pink and turned white. If any of you know it, please let me know.
Yesterday, I decided to sleuth it out once and for all. I took some photos (distance, close up, leaf, and bud) and headed in to my books (I'm old school - I always consult my garden reference books first, then the net). I mean, I can have my books right there with me in the garden and they don't mind a little dirt. My computer on the other hand . . .
I put in what I knew: deciduous, white flower, peeling bark. Then I switched my Google search to images and VOILA! There she was! I found a few images with flowers that matched so off I went to sleuth more information. One of the resources I use online is Dave's Garden. It's a great resource for general plan care and characteristic information.
Here's what I learned: My mystery tree is a Korean Stewartia.
According to Willis Orchard Company the Korean Stewartia tree is an "all season performer" as it's autumn foliage is quite striking (can't wait to see it). The bark peels off and exposes contrasting colors beneath (I have to take a closer look). They recommend Stewartia for patios, entry or even as a canopy walkway over a sidewalk.
Mystery solved. Now to add the details to my garden journal.
See how nice and clean it is now? When we first moved in, this bed was a mess. Raspberry brambles had choked nearly everything. This poor tree looked very sad, especially with no leaves (remember, we moved in in October).
I'm not one for getting rid of the old and putting in new, but the thought crossed my mind after the umteenth hour of weeding and clearing just so the established plants could breathe. It looks like once upon a time there was a very large fir tree (the trunk is still lying across the bed, now covered with other plants). I don't know how long the ferns will last in the abundance of sun the area now gets, but we'll see. Back to the tree. . .
After some judicious pruning, and removal of the brambles that were choking it, I gave it some tree vities and waited. I am much better at recognizing trees in bloom, and with only the trunk and branches to clue me in, I had no idea what this was.
Here it is last month. Looking healthy, and much happier. This reminds me, I want to research the variety of rhododendron seen in the picture. They were quite stunning. The flowers emerged peachy-pink and turned white. If any of you know it, please let me know.
Still no clue really what it was. I eliminated dogwood and flowering pear. I knew it wasn't any fruit or nut variety. When the buds showed up, I thought maybe a variety of magnolia - but it didn't have the hard, shiny leaves I recognize. Still no idea . . .
Yesterday, I decided to sleuth it out once and for all. I took some photos (distance, close up, leaf, and bud) and headed in to my books (I'm old school - I always consult my garden reference books first, then the net). I mean, I can have my books right there with me in the garden and they don't mind a little dirt. My computer on the other hand . . .
It didn't look like anything I had in my reference books, so I turned to my computer and the internet. Here I got to practice what I try to get my students to understand - the best way to do digital research is to ask the write question with specific parameters. With images in hand (like the super close up of the flower and leaves as well as the tree itself)
I put in what I knew: deciduous, white flower, peeling bark. Then I switched my Google search to images and VOILA! There she was! I found a few images with flowers that matched so off I went to sleuth more information. One of the resources I use online is Dave's Garden. It's a great resource for general plan care and characteristic information.
Here's what I learned: My mystery tree is a Korean Stewartia.
Family: Theaceae (tee-AY-see-ee)
Genus: Stewartia (stew-ART-ee-uh)
Species: pseudocamellia var. koreana
It will grow to 20-30 feet and it's hardy in zones 5a - 8b. It prefers light shade but will tolerate full sun and acidic to strongly acidic soil (5.1-6.0). It blooms late spring to early summer, after most other deciduous trees are finished. It needs regular watering, but I need to be careful not to over water.
Mystery solved. Now to add the details to my garden journal.
Inspiration and motivation
Thinking I should be working in my garden led me to actually working on my to do list. I just waited until it cooled off a bit. I wasn't outrageously hot like I remember the Central Valley of California where I grew up - - it would get so hot your heels would sink into the blacktop -- mid to upper 80's isn't bad when you've experienced 110 -114, but I digress...
Once motivated, I decided that I should start with the lawn because it is pretty mindless work and it REALLY needed to be done. I couldn't motivate myself to weeding or any other bed work - I knew I didn't have the oomph to tackle that just yet. The good news is that I finished in less than FOUR HOURS, albeit ten minutes less, but still. . .
The other good news is that while walking behind that mower, I had an epiphany about the blog. I think the format will help the posts be focused and help inspire me to be more consistent in writing them. It's a plan and it may change, but it's a start. Most of the titles are pretty self-explanatory, but I've included descriptions below. Future posts will follow thusly:
Once motivated, I decided that I should start with the lawn because it is pretty mindless work and it REALLY needed to be done. I couldn't motivate myself to weeding or any other bed work - I knew I didn't have the oomph to tackle that just yet. The good news is that I finished in less than FOUR HOURS, albeit ten minutes less, but still. . .
The other good news is that while walking behind that mower, I had an epiphany about the blog. I think the format will help the posts be focused and help inspire me to be more consistent in writing them. It's a plan and it may change, but it's a start. Most of the titles are pretty self-explanatory, but I've included descriptions below. Future posts will follow thusly:
Mystery Plant Monday - I sleuth out the details of one of the hundreds of "I'm not sure what this is" plants on the property so I know how to care for it.
To Do List Tuesday - I/we tackle one of the projects on our every growing To Do List.
Wishful Wednesday - a more broad subject. Might be filled with wishlist tools, future plans for garden or house areas, and plans on how to achieve those goals.
Therapy Thursday - I've always said that gardening is my therapy. So Thursday's post will be dedicated to all things garden related. With five acres, I've plenty to talk about.
Fabulous Friday - reflecting on recipes, remedies, and research for our journey to self-sufficiency.
Snapshot Saturday - photos of things I've discovered here at Our Haven, updates on projects, chickens, memories made, etc.
Simply Sunday - family time; time taken to express thankfulness for what we have.
Catching you up
I can't believe it's July already - tell me it isn't so!!! I know I haven't posted in awhile, just couldn't seem to find the time with all I was juggling in June: a four-day whirlwind, 1300 mile move to close up my daughter's college apartment and move her home, followed by the insanity of figuring out where to put it all. Then my sailor deployed, leaving me to take care of all the spring T2Do at Our Haven, Topped of with all the end of the year loveliness teachers have to manage - like report cards and closing the classroom for the summer. I had great intentions, just no time. . . took plenty of pictures, but couldn't seem to update the blog with them. My plan is to work on catching you up with an entry each day.
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Brief Hiatus
Sorry we've been silent for so long, but we're recuperating after a whirlwind move. Memorial Weekend was a four-day holiday for mom, so ... mother and daughter flew to close up the college apartment. Got everything packed, scrubbed and checked, then drove the 650 miles back. Then the end of the school year fun stuff began!
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