People Watching . . . Farm Style

"Hey ya'll, gather around.  Look what the humans are doing!"

"Silly man, doncha know we would love to do that job for you!"

"Why is she taking our picture again? Crazy humans!"

A Week At the Castle Farm

It has been a busy week at the Castle Farm.  Lots of playing, weeding, fruit preserving, schooling, soccer ball dribbling and so on.  Fall must be on her way . . . Here is our week by the numbers.

One nectarine tree picked.

Two soccer practices.

Three batches of nectarine freezer jam.

Four front yard garden beds weeded.

Five days of schooling.

Six rows done on my mystery shawl. *sniff*

(Curse you, weeding!!)

Seven stints of mopping.

(Curse you, muddy dogs!!)

Eight (at least) loads of weeds hauled down to the "edge".

Nine wedges knit for my Spectra shawl.

(Love you soccer practice knitting!!)

Ten dehydrator trays of nectarine fruit leather. 

And now it is time to rest, and look forward to the fun next week will bring.  More soccer.  Applesauce making.  Friends to visit from far away.  Friends to visit from close by.  More school.  More knitting.  More weeding, ugh.  More knitting (a girl can dream right??).

Random picture from this summer.
I know when *I* think of SD,
camels always come to mind!!

Castle Randomness

We here at the Castle, just enjoyed a wonderful visit with my next youngest sister and her family! What a treat! Now, however, I am tired, a good, happy tired, so here are so random bits for you from the Castle Farm:

1. The wild blackberries are ripe. Super yum!

2. Four pies, one cobbler, one custard, and 5 gallon ziplocs worth of yumminess.

3. Lots of beautiful webs were seen in the bushes, the spiders on said webs, not so much.

4. Princess #1 and I did the best we could, but after a while we were pretty sure, that every rustle we heard was going to be Shelob (a little LOTR reference for you), so we hightailed it out of there with our berries.

5. The rustling was most likely the cows, but who could rightly say? {grin}

6. Speaking of the cows, we had our first fence go down today because of the bovines.

7. Fixing fence=not fun. I plan to reward the fixers with one of the previously mentioned blackberry pies and fresh whipped cream.

8. I am in the midst of another mystery knit. So far, the jury is out, but I will say this, super interesting knit! Pictures to come.

9. I am working on a giveaway here on the blog, it will of course, be knitting related, so stay tuned.

10. I ate a lot of mama humble pie this past week.

11. I despise that bitter taste it leaves in my mouth.

12. However, through the servings, I was reminded of an important parenting lesson. One that I was failing at, which is, simply, when you give instructions to your wee ones, it is important to explain how to do the task. For instance, if I tell my daughter to clean up her room, it may not get completed, because I didn't explain what my definition of a clean room is: put your clothes away, put your toys in the box, etc.

13. Laundry is calling my name.

14. Why does he have to be so blinking insistent?

15. Yes, my laundry is a he.

16. The goldfinches love the feeder on the deck, so do the house finches and the sparrows. And one little hummingbird keeps trying.

17. Guess, we need to make her some food too, and find a feeder.

18. Looks like the fencing crew is making their way home, better quick fold some laundry and slice the berry goodness. Thanks for putting up with the random, dear readers.

Happiness Is . . .

. . . living in denial.

I am making pie when I should be packing and organizing for this road trip.  And yesterday we made homemade ice cream from strawberries freshly picked from the garden.  I wonder what food creation I can come up with for tomorrow. {grin}

Don't worry, the knitting has begun to be thoughtfully packed, I have a sweater I'm knitting for car knitting, a pair of socks to finish for when I need a little easy something, and a fun hat or two that I am bringing along, just in case.

Mmmm . . . pie . . .

Vindication is Mine!!

Verb

1.

vindicate - show to be right by providing justification or proof

Less than 24 hours after our Castle listing

went "live", we got an offer.

Crazy!

Dear friends, I feel vindicated for all that painting I 

completed this past month.

Even if this offer doesn't pan out,

boy did it feel good to get one

so quickly!!

A Surefire Answer to Stress

Stress makes me do funny things.

Like obsess about learning to spin.

Spin yarn, that is.

General spinning around and getting nothing done, 

I already do quite well, thankyouverymuch.

So instead of doing all those little pesky

or maybe not so little pesky chores

associated with moving, 

I browse spinning wheels online.

I confer with friends who spin.

Asking lots of questions.

Which wheel is best?

What is a good price?

I borrow books from the library.

I think this looks like fun.

I find a listing for a used wheel.

Just the right one.

Just the right price.

I bite.

And now it sits.

Watching me patiently as I paint yet another wall.

Waiting to be set up at the Farm.

Will owning sheep be the next level of crazy?

No.

But I would like to make friends with someone who does.

More to come, dear readers, more to come.

Not *my* wheel, but one just like it!
It's a Lendrum, double treadle.
So pretty, and folds up nice and tidy.

In A Word

Several years ago, I was given a word.

Unbeknownst to the giver, 

this word changed my perspective on certain

aspects of my life that I had just

chalked up to "sometimes life sucks".

What word, you ask?

grief.

Grief has always meant to me sadness,

like over the loss of a loved one.
However, through the words of this wise woman,
I came to see it as a bigger word.
A more encompassing word.
It became my word.

She was talking about her son and his battle with cancer.
He was victorious, but she was grieving.
This caught my attention.
She said she mourned the loss of those years
of his young life that he spent getting well.
Instead of having a "normal" life,
they lived in and out of hospitals, waiting with bated breath
as to what the latest test results would bring.
And it broke her heart.

When she gave me these words I had
just begun feeding the Prince the supplemental bottles.

And I was angry. Well, heartbroken, really.

She told me that it was grief talking.
Grief that things didn't go as planned or pictured.

When she gave me these words I was just
entering the worst stretch of time
that I have ever had with my spirited child.

And I was frustrated and exhausted.
Already.
Little did I know . . .

This time, I knew it was grief talking.
Grief that this child has such huge hang-ups,
that I am still not sure will be overcome,
about such seemingly simple things, like getting dressed.
Grief that her siblings and I had to figure out how to graciously
deal with the temperament that God had given to this child,
rather than just sit back and enjoy the ride passively.

Her wise words gave me the understanding that I needed to be free to mourn.
And with that freedom has eventually come joy!

Psalm 30:11
You have turned my griefs into joy; you took off my sackcloth
and you clothed me with joy!

Moving Random--Facebook Style

The Queen

--is desperately trying to decide what should be packed.  In other words what does our family of 6 *not* need for the next 6 months!

--had no idea that picture books could weigh so much.  Sorry honey, should have packed them in a smaller box.

--found a purveyor of used moving boxes.  She is my new bff.

--so glad to be moving to a bigger house. Not so sure, however, about upsizing the amount of property.

--whew!  For every hefty bag of goodwill/garage sale/plain old crap, I seem to pack two more boxes to keep.  Something is wrong with this picture!

--trying to explain moving to a three year old is beyond my level of expertise.

--attic is emptied!

--packed up the stash.  See you soon my lovelies.

--have only opened the yarn box twice to get more yarn out since packing it.  You never know when your knitting time and speed will increase exponentially and unexpectedly. {grin} I am now prepared for every contingency!

--is wishing that we could justify hiring a moving company.  Sigh. At least this way, I will be sure that nothing is packed (like garbage cans with garbage in them) that shouldn't be.

So, dear readers, the Castle is relocating, hopefully in about a month.  Not far mind you, just a few miles away, but it sure feels like a continent away at this point.  Lots of sorting, hauling, packing, repacking, goodwill runs, home repairs, painting, and other nonsense going on.  This move has been a long time coming.  We have been debating the merits of moving vs. remodeling for years quite some time now.  More details will come as I have them.

Dear Void,

It has been a while dear Void, since I've had to bother you, but it is time.

I would like to know, why, dear Void, why my nap boycotting son refuses to sleep in.  I'm all for dropping a nap or two, if that time gets tacked on to the following day's wake up call.  Surely, he is missing that extra hour and a half of rest he used to get (I know I am).  So why won't he just take an extra few minutes in the morning and hit snooze on his infernal, internal, alarm clock.  It sure would go a long ways to making the castle a happier place to be these days.

Get back to me quick, will you!

Signed,

The nap-deprived Queen

The Great Stash Bust of 2012

So, I have a lot of yarn, by some standards.  I am not apologizing or asking you to understand my obsession with string.  It just is what it is.  Last week, I took some time to clean out my yarn cupboard.  My cupboard is three shelves high, just about 3 feet tall, so it's not like wardrobe size or anything. All of my non-sock yarn is grouped by weight or by project, if I know the yarn's destiny. My sock yarn is kept in a different location, because in my world, sock yarn does not count as stash, sock yarn is special and set apart, lovingly handled as the need arises.

One of my biggest peeves with knitting is leftovers.  I try desperately to use every last inch of yarn and when I have a smidge left behind it annoys me.  It annoys me because I have a hard time throwing it away.  I might need it someday or it was expensive good quality.  I have gotten better and each time I clean out the stash, more of the littlest bits leave the nest.  However, there are a few stray balls of yarn.  Not big enough to make something on their own, but too much yarn and too good of quality to just trash or Goodwill.  (I do donate yarn to various charities, but most charities prefer machine washable yarn, and I just don't have much stashed.)

So, why tell you all of this dear readers, well, it is because this year I have determined to knit from the stash as much as is humanly possible (for me).  I have two shelves in my little cupboard of yarn that is for potential projects, and by George, I am going to knit them up.  I'll keep you posted (yah, you saw that one coming didn't you) on my progress, and may possibly have a give away or two this year.  I'm working out the logistics of that.

Here's to stash-busting!!  My needles are loaded with three projects right now, all of which are from the stash!  It is on!!

Christmas Random

1.  So I am about ready to scrap Christmas.  

2.  It is just too much. 

3.  It used to feel simple and now it doesn't.

4.  It used to mean traditions and now it feels like one more thing I have to make myself do.

5.  I am not sending out cards or letters or photos.

6.  Super sorry.

7.  Something had to go and that was it.

8.  I overheard a lady at Target, today, tell the cashier that she would be done shopping when her credit card was declined.

9.  That is sad and pathetic, and makes my stomach hurt.

10. My kids get three gifts from us:  a book, a piece of clothing, and something fun.

11. And they are content with that.

12. I like that about my kids.

13. I wish I could have told that lady that it doesn't take *everything* a little heart desires to make it happy.

14. So I am telling you.

15. That way I can't see the crazy look you are shooting me, and the pitying glances to my "deprived" children.{grin}

16. Merry Christmas, dear readers.  I will try for a better post another day.

Trust Issues

Prince:  Mama! Look at me!

Queen:  Oh, nice shades mister.

Prince:  They're sunglasses.

Queen:  Yah, those are great.

Prince:  For riding motorcycles.

Queen:  Really?

Prince:  Trust me, Mama.

Queen:  Okay, I will take your word for it.

Prince:  Good.

An oldie from last year, but a favorite. {grin}

You Know You Live . . .

in the desert,
when your toddler mistakes the sound of a thunderstorm . . . 

for that of a Harley.

A Little Insight

Have you ever thought of your day

in terms of transitions?

I do.

Daily.

Wanna know why?

Because transitions in my spirited child's world

are

EVIL.

Everytime you switch tasks is a transition.
Try thinking about it this way . . .

#1- Wake up.

#2- Get out of pj's and get dressed.

#3- Eat breakfast.

#4- Brush teeth/hair.

#5- Play or School time

That's at least 5 transitions all before 9 am at our house!!

Think about a trip out to do errands.

#1- Get in car and buckle.

#2- Get to destination and get out of car.

#3- Errand.

#4- Get back into car and buckle..

#5- Get to destination and get out of car.

You get the picture right?
That's 5 transitions (at least) just for one errand.
It's a red letter day here at the Castle if we
get in more than one stop per trip because
of the affect that change has on our spirited child.

You may be wondering as to the point of this post.
Not sure, dear readers.
Just something I thought I'd share with you.
A little glimpse of my life.
And maybe, a little perspective to those of you with
children that may struggle with transitions as well.
Like a mom with a toddler! {grin}

Now granted we have come a long way in
dealing with the daily transition struggles.
 It involves a lot of prep work from a Mama's standpoint.
Lots of thinking ahead.
Lots of being flexible with how much time may be needed to transition.
It's exhausting some days.
Especially now, as summer is winding down
and fall is looming. . .
Seasons=Change
Change=Transition
Transition=Evil
remember??

Wonder No Longer

Now I'm sure you've wondered dear readers,

how does the Queen make meals

that all the Royals will eat?

I'm sure you've thought to yourself, she doesn't seem to post 

much about cooking,

yet her kids are getting bigger and

seem to be healthy, hmmm. 

Or, her recipes must go through rigorous testing and

approval before she tries them out on her family.

Well, wonder no longer my friends.

I do have *a* stringent quality control measure in place.

His name is Clyde.

First Clyde cautiously does a sniff test.

Then, takes an aerial overview. 

Finally, the all important taste test.

If Clyde approves, then I know I have a crowd pleaser! {grin}

Just having a little fun with you all this fine Monday morning.

Best Wishes for a fine, mid-August week, dear readers.

Happiness Is Not . . .

 . . . finding "Potsie" in the sink, when you go to drain the pasta and the corn on the cob.

Anybody else hear "Chucky" music playing??

All Before 8 AM

. . . lest you have the mistaken idea that life here at the Castle is

idyllic on a daily basis I give you a typical morning 

of my life that happened this week.

Here it is by the numbers:

. . . 1 child out of 4 happy to start the day.

. . . 2 1/2 children dressed for the day.

. . . 1 pot of Scottish Oatmeal overflowing onto the stovetop.

. . . 1 Queen swearing . . . softly. (Just keeping it real people.)

. . . 1 child screaming for MOMMY.

. . . 1 child screaming that they didn't *want* Scottish Oatmeal for breakfast.

. . . 1 child running around with no unders on. (The happy one.){grin}

. . . 1 can of caffeinated beverage of choice consumed by the Queen.

. . . 5 bowls of oatmeal dished up.

. . . 1 wrong spoon used causing more screaming.

. . . 4 children eating.

. . . 1 Queen sighing.

. . . 1 pot of water on, to make the second dose of 

caffeinated beverage for the Queen.

And all this, before 8 AM, my dear friends.

. . . 

One For the Frog Pond

I decided early on in my latest knitting project to turn a blind eye to what common sense was telling me.  I mean, I was spot-on for gauge, so what if the baby sweater appeared to be growing in width rather than height.  I continued on because darn it, this was my mindless knitting project, my reward for completing a lacy scarf out of over 400 yards of fingering weight yarn, this little sweater was my sanity saver.

However, today as I laid it out on the school table in preparation of adding sleeves, I opened my eyes and began to laugh, because surely this was a joke from the knitting gods.  The shape was supposed to be boxy, but this little baby sweater for a three month old, would have fit my 2 year old for width!!!  Yikes.

Common sense took over.

I began to frog.

And frog.

I told the girls it was rather ironic that taking apart a sweater only takes about 15 minutes as opposed to the solid week I've knitting I had already put into it.

I hated to do it, but it is for the best.

Sometimes taking things down to the beginning is important.  Sometimes rebuilding, or in this case, re-knitting, is the best action.  Sometimes, you've got to start from scratch, even if it hurts to take it there.

Can You Handle More Randomness??

1.  I hope so.

2.  Because I don't have any energy to form coherent thoughts today.  It's been an exhausting couple of weeks.

3.  I even broke down and made coffee.  If you know me, you would know that is a rare occurrence.

4.  Of course, my version of coffee is all about what you add to the coffee to make it taste less coffee-ish.

5.  I wish coffee tasted the way it smells.

6.  I finally finished a test knit I've been working on.  It looks really cool.

7.  If I get permission, I'll post some pictures on the blog.

8.  It took a lot of attempts to get it right, since I was learning some new skills.

9.  Every once and a while it is good to get out of your knitting comfort zone and try something different.

10.  That being said, I'm not sure I'll ever double knit anything, again.

11.  But I know how to! {grin}

12.  I'm making tennis racket shaped pasta for lunch.

13.  My parents bought it for me.

14.  When I was in 1st grade I picked up my first tennis racket and was hooked.

15.  My parents haven't forgotten that love I had.

16.  And I like that about them.

17.  Thanks for putting up with a bit more random, dear readers.

A Little Randomness

1.  I have not been motivated to post anything on the blog as of late.

2.  In fact, I am forcing myself to type this post.

3.  It may be time to be done with blogging.

4.  My kids are driving me insane today.

5.  Not that I'm not always on the brink, but today, I'm full on.

6.  I hate yelling at my kids.

7.  But I did today.  A lot.  Really loud and often.

8.  Felt good at the time, but now, not so much.

9.  I know why, but I can't post it.

10.  That makes me want to start a new, completely anonymous blog, that I only let select (non-judgmental) people know about, just to talk about the "taboo" subjects.

11.  Like yelling at your kids or bad days or things/events that cause you incredible stress and possible ulcers.

12.  And if this day wasn't enough, now I have to feed them.

13.  So, what I'm making for dinner is completely unhealthy.

14.  I don't care that it is, because they will all eat it without complaint.

15.  At this point, I will do anything to avoid the complaining, whining, and general gnashing of teeth that this day has brought.

16.  Just keepin' it real for you, dear readers.  Some days, life sucks here at the Castle.