homegrown...fearless clipping and a garden update

We have had so much rain this year that I have had quite a time getting any basil to grow. And the plants I did get started keep getting eaten by slugs! I felt better when I talked to my friend Erma who happens to be Mennonite and raises almost all her family’s food. She said that she had no luck with her basil either this year. I love her attitude though…she said, “oh there’s still time, and I don’t use it until I make my sauces anyway.”

Pesto is a staple in our house, and I just couldn’t stand the thought of having to buy fresh basil all season long. So today I broke down and bought some really leggy overgrown and even flowering basil at a greenhouse. The roots were really bound so I had to cut off the bottoms. And since these were really leggy, I gave the plants a major clipping. Thankfully, we are going to have a couple of rainy days so that should give these a good chance to recover from all the trauma. And now I have basil for pesto at the beginning of July!

leggy greenhouse basil

basil gets a clip

You can see from my opening picture once I trimmed the basil, no plant was safe. I went after the coleus in our window boxes next. That was harder to do because it means temporarily the boxes will have a bit less color, but in the long run the plant will fill out much better. Again, with all the rain, these plants were developing long stems in their hopeless search for light.

The garden is starting to green up a bit. We have harvested lettuce, peas, radishes, kale, and cabbage. My beans are getting a slow start, I suspect more seeds rotting as the ground is so wet with all the rain. And the peppers are stunted, but the kale and cabbage are glorious even though they got a late start. Apparently, I forgot to dig up a row of potatoes last year because I have a row of potato plants and one plant growing with the kale.

The garden is what it is. I love that gardening is different every year depending on the challenges presented by a whole host of things that are completely out of my control. Anyway, here’s where we are the last day of June.

moment of mindfulness...gathering qi from the heavens and earth

Now that the weather is warmer, we practice Qigong outside at my friend, Mary’s house. She graciously shares her really lovely space with us. Practicing outside adds another dimension to qigong. After clearing away stagnant qi, we always spend some time gathering new qi. We gather the qi from the heavens, and we gather the qi from the earth. From my spot in our circle last week, when I looked up I could see way up high into the crown of a beautiful oak tree. And when I looked down I saw the smooth brown cap of a mushroom.

I was struck by the way that nature models for us how to take in qi from the heavens and the earth. Stretching up like a tree, I gather the energy of the heavens. Folding my body over like the mushroom, I gather the energy of the earth. These energies are healing, rejuvenating, restorative, and connect me deeply to the moment.

week in snapshots

1. pergola, 2. willow basket, 3. peas, 4. closeup red hot poker, 5. mulberries, 6. mary's fountain, 7. snapping turtle, 8. closeup begonia, 9. pitted cherries, 10. cheap flowers, 11. shelling peas, 12. front of house

You can click on the linked titles above to see the full sized picture and read a description if there is one. Hope you had a blessed weekend!

handmade...yugen cabinet

John finished up this little beauty this weekend. This is the third cabinet in this line that he has made. This one is has so much going on it is hard to know where to begin. The main wood is some beautifully figured cherry. He chose spalted ambrosia maple for the door panels. Ambrosia is a term for the reaction that the tree has to ambrosia beetles causing a gray oval coloring, and spalted is a term used for the mark left behind by a fungus that gets into the wood causing black streaks and other colors. Nature leaves her mark and the results are spectacularly beautiful.


The top has a copper and malachite inlay to fill a hole in the piece and a butterfly inlay to prevent a crack from splitting further. You can also see a mark in the top where the log roller grabbed the log before it was sawn (lower left corner).




I was reading an article today and learned that the Japanese term yugen means the "profound mystery of things". So it seemed a fitting name for this cabinet. Even with all the trauma the wood endured, beauty prevails.

We listed a small meditation cabinet in our etsy shop today. Hope you are having a splendid weekend!

there he goes

a few of my favorite things...daphne olive jewelry

At the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts last year, we had the pleasure of being just a couple of booths down from Daphne Olive. Quite honestly, what attracted me to her booth initially was her beautiful daughter, June. She was just Jude’s height and about the same age. They were quite the pair that week…June with her dark curly hair, and Jude with his blonde curly hair. Daphne and I were the nursing mamas on the block.

I usually don’t even look at jewelry because I’m very picky and most jewelry is over the top in my opinion. But Daphne’s jewelry is sublime. I am really drawn to her botanical line. I asked her what this was…


And she said something like “you know one of those weeds that you find in your yard.” I love the way she just finds random things and makes something beautiful out of it…so wabi sabi.


Daphne will be at the CPFA again this year July 9-12 with her beautiful jewelry and beautiful family. We are just 4 booths down from her near the corner of Allen Street and Fairmont Avenue. So if you’re in the neighborhood stop by. She also has a catalog on her website. Take a look. She has some really lovely jewelry!

homemade...pan fried millet with spring onions, garlic scapes, and carrots

This is a really simple wholesome recipe. It is an absolute favorite of Jude’s, and a great way to satisfy that need for something crispy and flavorful. This goes into the category of super toddler food. To me these are better than French fries, but to use my husband’s affectionate words I’m “not a normal person.” Nevertheless, these are delicious and tasty. I am doing this tutorial style just to show you how easy it is and I’ll follow with the written recipe.


Cut up some spring onions and garlic scapes (I didn’t have garlic scapes when I took the pictures but they are a really nice to use in this recipe).


Cut up some carrots. Use sweet little baby carrots from your garden if you have them. We got a nice bunch in our CSA order a couple of weeks ago, but these are not those obviously.


Measure 1 cup of millet.


Toast in the pan by heating the grains over medium heat for about 5 minutes while stirring almost constantly. When the millet begins to smell nutty, they are toasted.


Slowly pour 1 cup of water down the side of your pot. If you just dump the water, be ready for a surprise. This is a place to practice mindfulness. Then add 3 more cups of water.


Add your cut up carrots, onions and garlic scapes, turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil.


Reduce heat to low and cover. Continue to cook for 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.


When the millet is cooked, transfer to a square dish to cool. Place in refrigerator. Wait at least 3 hours to pan fry.


Cut into ¼ inch thick rectangles or squares. Place the millet cakes into a skillet that is coated with olive oil. Don’t add too much oil or the millet will be mushy instead of crispy. Heat on medium heat with a splatter guard for 5-7 minutes on each side. You want the cakes to turn golden brown. Sprinkle salt on the cakes and serve! YUM!!!


I don’t have a good picture of the cooked millet cakes because we seem to eat them too fast. But here is one from a while back without vegetables and served up with another fav...sauteed purple cabbage. Jude didn't mind...



Pan fried millet with spring carrots, onions, and garlic scapes
What you need:
1 cup of millet
½ cup of diced spring carrots
1 spring onion diced
2 garlic scapes diced
4 cups of water
3-4 T of olive oil
Salt to taste

What you need to do:
Toast millet in medium saucepan over medium heat while stirring constantly for about 5 minutes or until the millet smells nutty. Slowly add 1 cup of water to the pot by pouring it down the side of the pot. Add the other 3 cups of water and the carrots, onions, and garlic scapes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover. Continue to cook for 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Transfer cooked millet and vegetables to shallow dish and cool in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. Cut the millet into squares or rectangles. Coat a skillet with olive oil and place on stove over medium heat. Place the millet squares in the heated oil and cook for 5-7 minutes on each side until golden brown. Salt to taste and serve warm. Enjoy!

handmade...portrait bookmark

Jude and I finished up our father’s day gift on Monday. Well, Jude had his part done last week, but I had a hard time sitting down long enough to sew it up. We used this tutorial from Amanda Blake Soule’s upcoming book Handmade Home. This was a really easy project and the results are really satisfying. I can see more of these as gifts.

Jude practiced his self portrait before he attempted on the fabric. He is just really getting into drawing lately. It all started with a tree, then a sunflower, and now this. We decided to do a self portrait instead of a portrait of daddy. Jude picked out the thread for the embroidery and since he couldn’t make up his mind about the fabric choice we went with two fabrics for the back and I pieced them together. I happen to know that these are a couple of John’s favorite fabrics, but Jude’s choice was based on the color…green. The boy loves his green! Since I didn’t have ribbon, I made a tab from the batik.


I forgot how nice it is to embroider. I was able to sit outside and take my time. I might attempt some more projects like this lovely little purse in the near future since I can do this outside especially at shows.

moment of mindfulness...hanging laundry as a sacred act

I took this picture a few weeks ago, but it was perfect for the moment of mindfulness I wanted to share today. In this particular shot, Jude’s laundry reminds me of prayer flags. I have been striving to find ways to make the ordinary events of life sacred. Anytime I can slow down, and connect on a deeper level it’s a really good thing. Hanging my laundry is another opportunity to do that.

I had about 4 different things I thought about posting for today’s moment of mindfulness, and I saw this today. I knew that hanging laundry, as silly as it might seem to some, is like hanging prayer flags if that is your intention. But now I am totally inspired to make and hang prayer flags too!

This is also my contribution to this week’s it begins with colour challenge.

week in snapshots

1. turtle, 2. yellow water flower, 3. smiles, 4. swing, 5. round moss, 6. strawberries and lavender, 7. orchid, 8. swing and chimes, 9. whoa, 10. wild strawberries, 11. black swallowtail, 12. dad's father's day card

1. A turtle we discovered on the path to John's shop.
2. We kayaked today but the water was so swift I got few pictures. I got this one because I was on a side shoot of the main branch, but I got attacked by stinging nettle in the process! The flowers were lovely even though I don't know what they are.
3. Jude and John have a routine called hugs, noses, smile. This is smile...looking intently into each others eyes.
4. Jude and I hung out for a while at a client's house on the creek while John installed that corner desk. They have a really lovely spot.
5. I love moss.
6. See recipe for strawberry lavender sorbet posted earlier this week. YUM!
7. This was a gift I received at a retreat I went to last weekend. The orchid was so exotic compared to everything else that I am surround by, but I loved seeing every day on our kitchen table. It was "a gift".
8. I wish you could hear this shot.
9. Jude wasn't crazy about the rope swing.
10. We discovered a nice patch of wild strawberries. I hope the slugs leave a few for us. We are just about to begin the season of fruit foraging around here. Mulberries are just about ready.
11. This butterfly was hanging out at our house all day today. And it just didn't fly away when you approached. I couldn't help but think of Bennett and took this shot for John.
12. This was a shot from our nature walk earlier in the week that I fancied up with picnik.

haiku habit

I've been inspired by the way Molly at foothill home companion has been documenting her life over the last week in haiku and pictures. I have always loved the cleaness of haiku. No room for flowery shallow language when you have 3 lines and a total of 17 syllables (if you are following the rules;).

Jude and I checked out a book from the library composed of the haiku of Issa called Today and today. I love that this children's book deals with difficult subject of death and change in a way that is not only comforting but also (I believe) intuitive for children.

I reviewed another great children's book full of haiku called wabi sabi not so long ago but before the inception of this blog. I love when certain paths open up in my life and I get lots of encouragement along the way. It is like the Universe is waving and saying, "Hey, we're glad your here. We were waiting for you."

Molly inspired me to join do u haiku . I think it is going to be just as addictive as she warned.

a few of my favorite things...nancy cleaver calligraphy

Besides being a very dear friend of mine, Nancy Cleaver is a healer, an artist, and humanitarian. In some of her more recent work she combined the latter three of these roles to create her peace mandala series.

More personally, Nancy designed and created my wedding invitations, birth announcements, and a special card that was given at my first son, Bennett’s, celebration of life ceremony. When Bennett was being treated for brain cancer, Nancy faithfully sent little gifts of encouragement in the form of special cards, little books, collages. I have a very special collection of her work. Every year Nancy sends out a special Christmas card that she designs and prints herself. This year’s card featured two of the Peace mandalas. This one was on the front….

And this one was on the inside. These are words by Thich Nhat Hanh from his book Being Peace.

Besides being a master calligrapher, she has a way of allowing letters to shift shapes in order to engage and surprise the viewer and challenge their perspective. A healer of individuals and the world, Nancy’s work benefits us all.

Nancy's work was recently exhibited at Gallery Blu in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. She can be reached at her studio in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania called Pensylvania Calligraphy and you can check out the Arts Thrive on 45 website for her contact information or send me an email. She is currently working on a project to fold 1000 peace cranes for the Hiroshima Day Event in August.

"Generate peace and it will regenerate you." ~Notty Bumbo

nature walk...jack's mountain

On Monday, Jude and I were driving over the mountain behind our house and had the following conversation.

M: I used to walk with you up here when you were smaller but now you are so big.

J: Am I so big now?

M: Do you feel big?

J: I don't think so.

Looking at these pictures it is hard to pretend he isn't big now even if he doesn't feel like it. On a whim I decided we should stop and take a walk on top of my favorite mountain. This is the first time we walked together in this sacred space. Every time before he was fastened to my back in my ergo carrier. So in a very special way, this was an important milestone for us.

We appreciated lots of small things on our walk. Lots and lots of small wild flowers and other small animal life. Walking at Jude's pace gave me a chance to notice a lot of things I would have likely missed if I was up there with Sophie running.

A lovely sea of ferns waved gently to us as we walked down the logging road.

Lichen and moss showing the many shades of green.

This little spring azure let me get close enough to get this shot.

The mountain laurel were blooming spectacularly.

I love the way the buds look like tiny stars.

Jude found a small vernal pool...

enjoyed watching tadpoles....

and touching them.

He found a stick to draw with as he walked down the sandy road.

I didn't know he would walk so far, and I didn't know I could enjoy such a short walk in the woods so much.

The heart of woods beckoned us and we obliged.

I've been really inspired by imagine childhood's nature walks lately. If you go to the blog, click on the nature category on the left. You'll find them there.

homemade...strawberry lavender sorbet

I finally gorged myself with enough fresh strawberries that I decided I could spare a few for a recipe. I decided it would be fun to make a sorbet with lavender that I have in the garden. Since I don’t use a lot of sugar, I decided to experiment with honey. There are only 6 ingredients in this recipe and it is so simple and a bit magical. Just wait until you see how these 6 ingredients transform themselves into a smooth, creamy palate cleansing delicacy. The result of the alchemy is not overly sweet and the honey and lavender come through as subtly floral. This is just perfect for an evening eating alfresco with family and friends…so lovely. Everything seems lovely to me lately, but strawberry lavender sorbet is especially lovely.

Strawberry Lavender Sorbet

What you need:

1 quart of strawberries

2 cups of water

1 cup of honey

12 springs of fresh lavender (or 1 tablespoon of dried lavender blossoms)

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

1 egg yolk

What you need to do:

1. Bring water and honey to a gentle boil in a medium saucepan. Continue to boil for 5 minutes.

2. Add lavender and remove from heat. Let the syrup infuse for 1 hour.

3. Strain syrup to remove lavender blossoms.

3. Remove stems from strawberries and puree them in a food processor.

4. Add lemon juice and cooled syrup and blend completely until the mixture is smooth.

5. Place into a shallow dish with lid.

6. Freeze overnight or for a few hours.

7. Scrap mixture back into food processor add egg yolk and blend until smooth and creamy.

8. Replace mixture to dish and freeze for another few hours until frozen completely.

Enjoy!

moment of mindfulness...planting seeds

Seeds keep coming up in my life. I plant them. I hear other people say things like “what kind of seeds are you planting in your life?” I even had to teach a lesson on Johnny Appleseed to children at church this week.

We plant seeds because we expect something to grow. So I’ve been asking myself “what do you want to grow and flourish in your life?”

And, “what kind of changes might be necessary to make that happen?” I had some trouble this spring getting my peas to grow. The seeds just were not sprouting. I finally decided that the seeds were too old. I needed new seeds. For me this illuminated a valuable lesson to let some things from the past go so that new things can emerge, flower, and fruit into something beautiful and delicious.

I find myself being especially mindful of the seeds I plant …not only in my garden, but in my mind, in my language, and in my actions. I have seen the tenacity of a tiny thistle seed and paid the price for creating conditions that allowed that unwanted plant to thrive. I know the same thing can happen with a thought, a habit, a word.

I want to plant seeds of happiness, peace, health, and abundance. I am trying to nurture these seeds by slowing down….by taking the time to clear out my mind….by moving my body to circulate the qi….by connecting with nature…by being generous with what I have.

What kind of seeds are you planting? And how do you nurture them?

week in snapshots

1. colorful adirondacks creekside, 2. caterpillar and slug, 3. jude and the moth, 4. daisy, 5. japanese maple, 6. woods turtle, 7. strawberries, 8. open heart, 9. jude smells flower, 10. jude smells flower profile, 11. peace, 12. orange fungus

You can click on the links above to see the full size picture.
1. This is a really lovely spot at our neighbor's
2. The gypsy moth caterpillars are out in full force, but in a way they are beautiful despite the destructive nature. This little tree was covered with caterpillars. John swept them off with a broom!
3. Jude looks at this really pretty yellow moth. A minute after I took the picture the moth flew into his face and he screamed like he was being attacked and needed a hug to be consoled.
4. Lazy daisy weeds in my garden with other (hmmm) weeds and artemisia.
5.This is my favorite tree in the world. It's Ms. Lucy's Japanese maple. Ms. Lucy was a dear old lady who lived down the street from us. She took numerous pictures of this tree. I know because she showed them to me. Ms. Lucy is no longer here, but her beloved tree is and now I take pictures of it;) I am entering this in the "it begins with a colour" challenge this week because of the color contrast with all the green but also because of the ruggedness of old tree in the foreground contrasting with the graceful form of the Japanese maple.
6. Jude and I rescued this wood's turtle on a walk. It was walking down the road (not across).
7. Nothing is better for breakfast than fresh local strawberries. They are good for dinner too! I adapted this recipe that my friend Jenn recently posted to make a really delicious salad.
8. This has been a weekend of sinking into my heart. This butternut on the moss was symbolic of that for me...the hard nut shell on the soft moss. I am entering this in the "it begins with a colour" challenge this week.
9. This was too cute. Jude is as enamored with the daisies as I am.
10. I took a whole series of these you can see here.
11. Me being silly with my shadow (my rear isn't really that big...really!)
12. I love the color of this fungus we discovered on a walk this week. I am entering this one in "it begins with a colour" too.

handmade...custom corner desk

John is finishing up the last of three parts of a beautiful custom desk for clients this week. He has previously installed the lower table section. That was made from natural edge walnut slabs. He also made a custom file cabinet that fits in between legs of the lower section. He is patiently waiting for finish to dry so the final top section can be installed possibly this weekend or early next week. John has been using a really fun program from Google called SketchUp to make his plans. It is amazing. You can look at your drawing from every direction. You can even go through a piece of wood and look at it from the other side. Here's a virtual 2-D view of the entire project....


The corner cabinet has a book-matched ambrosia maple door panel. The shelves are walnut and and the long side is 65" long the short end 24".

I'll try to post a picture of the entire finished piece in situ once it happens. We have a few new items in the etsy shop...cutting boards. Once you treat yourself to a beautiful hardwood cutting board you'll never go back to those plastic ones. Wood cutting boards are healthier for you and your family, easy to maintain and ours are made from sustainably grown wood.

Have a great weekend!