While the snow, on October 29, 2011, was coming down quite heavily yesterday, I got outside for some quick snowy pics...kind of a surprise treat to be able to capture some pre-holiday images:) look at my new banner! mmm. those are hat bows. I have a show in a couple of weeks, so I may use these with my label. (and customers are ALWAYS asking me for little flowers or things they can pin to their winter hats) below, Wensleydale hat bows and hair clip bows. looking extra heavenly. but soon after there were some cracking sounds and some crashing down sounds. and then this one skimmed the car. so I moved the car across the street, walked inside. took my boots off. put my slippers on. then a big crack. a big leafy boom...and then there was this... it's a bit odd and out of sorts feeling having snow in October. didn't realize that leaves on trees + snow= tree limb problems. didn't like the no phone, no cable, no internet bit either. but did like the excitement of crazy weather. as always... and so we will greet our trick or treaters tomorrow night. with a front yard that looks like this. one for the memory books, for sure.
Max's teacher says to capitalize letters when something is important. and Mimi is ONE! What a lovey little girl...even more beautiful now then the day she was born- so calm and easy going. So attached to all of us. She had a small party on Saturday with just our family and close friends. She wore her fancy party dress from I Love Gorgeous . She walked across the living room with her baby stroller, in her new shoes, so little and strong. She ate her vegan cake and clapped her hands when we sang to her. She played with her friends and let her Grandparents carry her all around. She played on the trampoline in the fresh air. I just love her. I love always having her with me. I love that she's here. Happy 1st Birthday my sweet Mimi! Here's the recipe for the vegan cake I made her. from my Mom:
Ultra Orange Cake
Oven 350’ Grease and flour a round cake pan. Whisk together thoroughly: 1 1/2 C flour 1 C sugar 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt
Add and stir together until smooth: 1 C orange juice 1/3 C vegetable oil 1 tblsp grated orange zest 1 tblsp vinegar 1 tsp vanilla
Bake 30 –35 min. or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a rack 10 min. Run a knife around the edge to loosen the cake. Invert the cake onto the cooling rack and cool completely
(i doubled the recipe and didn't flip the cake out of the pan- my cake stand broke so this is easier for me to present and keep...I kept it in the pan and frosted it with vegan store frosting. (funfetti!) xx
Mimi had a pre-birthday lady day. Lunch at Isaac's downtown in the square with Grandma (who she dearly calls "Mam Mam") and me. Followed by shopping for first shoes at BellaBoo. I've somehow managed to keep her barefoot or in Trumpette socks up until now...but it's gotten a little awkward say, at the playground. With Mimi's 1st birthday coming up on Friday, I thought this errand had the makings of a historic and memorable shopping trip. and so my Mom agreed and we picked out this lovely gnomey pink pair for Mimi. of course she didn't mind trying on five other pairs. but these ones from Smaller by See Kai Run fit her tiny feet well (size 6-9 months!). For Mimi in BellaBoo however...it turned out to be a serious adventure. There was a serious wood kitchen, serious cubbies of packs of shoes at an easy emptying level, doll babies like her own Corelle doll from France snuggled in beds on the floor, and finally she found a wooden puppy pal. A little lady. Mind of her own. In new shoes.
I am mad busy over here. Stitching away remnants sent from heaven. We've had a nice family 10 year wedding anniversary weekend (kicked off at the Bull's Head British Pub in Lititz on Thursday night.) Followed by First Friday with all of us downtown... The spirit in the city was a little quieter than in the summer- but there were gangs of college kids pouring into stores and restaurants (and of course me trudging through the sidewalks with kids). I met Caitlin Brady (from my last post on Community Sponsored Agriculture)in the My Aunt Debbie shop. We never met, but of course I recognized her after posting her pics on my blog- and I introduced myself. Gosh, she's even more beautiful in person with lovely thick hair pulled back in a braid, cool jeans and boots...She had just ended her work day. Farming! It was a good night, but I'll let most of the photos be self-explained as I have to get back to my sewing....! These are Kevin (aka Call Me Squirrel) antler finds. Kevin finds these in the woods when he walks with his dog. They live out west. I'm always talking about them. I imagine him lugging sack fulls of antlers home and coming home and making a grilled cheese sandwich pleased with himself and how well they are selling in Lancaster. (I always dreamed of living in Colorado....now I'm rambling.) it seems it's our tradition now to hit the Creative ReUse Center on First Fridays. I don't know who immerses themselves more in all the donated arty things...me or the kids! It's a nice way to end the night. Strolling home with assorted things to entice your creative imagination.
(Caitlin Brady of Blue Rock Farm- photos from her blog) We were so lucky to have had Max enrolled at the Lancaster Cooperative School for his last two years of Preschool (we miss the community), where it seemed like so many parents were self-employed organic farmers, yoga teachers, artists, healers. This group overlapped the people I know from my Lancaster art circle. (one of my FAVORITE things was the potluck dinners...what a healthy/local/gourmet spread.) Anyway, I'm not sure what or who exactly prompted my initial interest in Community Sponsored Agriculture. But, I do know that after Jo Ellen left me with a sack full of vegetables from a share she has, now I REALLY want to join a CSA. It was fantastic having fresh local vegetables to play around with in recipes and be able to incorporate them into our meals. I obviously am a bit late in the season for 2011, so I'm researching for 2012. Here are two CSA's that I'm learning more about. Both of them are so endearing in different ways. There's Caitlin's Blue Rock Farm in Willow Street. Caitlin has worked on Missouri farms harvesting grapes, corn and soy. She's worked the coffee cliffs of Guatemala, the cranberry bogs in Cape Cod, and grew organic heirloom vegetables in Silver Spring, PA. This year she has devoted one acre of land to organic vegetable production with 25 available shares. When I wrote Caitlin about using her photos in my blog, she told me to stop and see her at the Millersville Farmers Market open every Wednesday from 4-8 pm at the MU Student Memorial Center where she is Market Manager. You can learn more about her from this cool video too.
Blue Rock Farm offers whole and half produce shares, coffee and flower shares and work shares (produce in exchange for four hours of work a week.)
And there is Goldfinch Farm, owned by fellow coopers from last year Jon and Beth Weaver-Kreider and their two boys. Jon and Beth run this great family farm on Schmuck Road in York. It was exciting to hear the progress of the crops while we waited for school to let out. Beth has a very kind nature about her, and was so sweet to Mimi when she was born. (Photo of Ellis with radishes he planted in spring of 2010- from the Goldfinch Farm homepage.) Goldfinch Farm is large with 220 CSA members.The season runs from June to early November, with 8-12 different items per share on average available each week. Here are some photos Matt took of Max playing there last year. This is what a typical August share could contain: August: 6 beets 1 onion 2 cucumbers 1 summer squash 1.5 lb. potatoes 1 eggplant 1 green pepper 1 colored sweet pepper 1 head lettuce 1 lb. beans 3 lb. tomatoes 1 pint cherry tomatoes several hot peppers 4 basil sprigs Goldfinch Farm has working, non-working, and Will Work-for-Food shares. from the home page: Part of the 2010 Farm Crew. I think being members of a CSA would be a wonderful memory for the kids (in addition to the fabulous food and health benefits.) I never heard of anything like this when I was young. I love the community aspect. It's just priceless. It's the icing on the cake. (Caitlin and Little Gem Romaine) xx
