Getting There

Making Brown Sugar.

I apologize for the pause in posts--I had planned on posting on Monday, but on that morning I got the news that my father had had a heart attack. He is fine now! The hospital has taken excellent care of him, and he expects to fully recover. We are so happy and relieved. However, needless to say, I was shaken by this event and forgot about my blog for a while.

I was in such a worried, fretful state on that day. I knew I had to pull myself together for the children, so I did two things. The sun was shining brightly, so I went outside with the baby and harvested some herbs from the garden. Nothing is more soothing to me than working in the garden.

It's also so pleasing to see bunches of herbs I grew myself hanging to dry.

And then of course, I did what most women do in a time of distress--made food. In this case, chocolate chip cookies. I almost used up all the brown sugar, and instead of adding it to the shopping list this morning, I decided to try making some of my own.

Did you know the brown sugar you buy in the grocery store is in fact refined white sugar that has had some molasses added back into it? I found this info on Wikepedia:

Brown sugar is often produced by adding cane molasses to completely refined white sugar crystals in order to more carefully control the ratio of molasses to sugar crystals and to reduce manufacturing costs.^[1] This also allows the production of brown sugars to be based predominantly on beet sugar.

I don't know if the brands sold in my area are made from beet sugar or cane sugar. I hope not beet sugar, since most sugar beets grown are genetically modified varieties. However, even if the sugar I normally buy comes from sugar cane, it still has been refined, and I much prefer to use organic, unbleached sugar in all my baking.

I have been buying organic "white" sugar for some time, but I have never seen organic brown sugar anywhere for sale. So, time to try it myself! I took two cups of organic sugar and mixed in 1 tablespoon of dark organic molasses. I was suprised that the resulting sugar was so dark and rich tasting.

In the photo, the homemade sugar is on the left, the store bought "dark" brown sugar is on the right:

I think this sugar will be lovely for baking, although I might have to add more white sugar to get a product my children will eat on their oatmeal. Since it is so easy to do, I will certainly continue to make my own brown sugar. I know that any kind of sugar isn't healthy--but I know that if I am going to make cookies anyway, it's healthier to use only organic sugar that has never been bleached. And I think that the cost of this organic brown sugar is about the same as the small bags of processed brown sugar in the grocery store.

Has anyone else ever tried making brown sugar?

Unplugged Sunday.

Has anyone seen the blog, Unplugged Sunday? It is a collaborative effort of multiple writers, all on the theme of "unplugging" from electronics and media for one day each week--Sunday.

Ever since I stumbled upon the blog a few months ago, I have been thinking about trying it with our family. I have, in the past, implemented entire weeks with no electronics, and I always loved doing this--I loved the peace and quiet, the time to do more crafts and even cleaning, the artwork the children produced. But unfortunately, I don't think my family would appreciate it very much if I regularly said "no tv this week." Rather to my chagrin, my children really enjoy video games and DVDs. I limit the amount they can play/watch, but I still often feel that they stare at a screen more often than is healthy. I also don't like the fights that video games often seem to produce among them.

So I thought one day a week without technology might be nice. I spoke to Chris about the idea, and he was immediately on board--a gesture which I really appreciated, since he enjoys online games himself! And so this Sunday was our first Unplugged Sunday.

So all day yesterday, the computer and the television were off limits. I even unplugged them so they wouldn't get "accidentally" turned on. Yes, there were a few minor grumbles, but overall we had a lovely family day. We had a relaxed pancake breakfast; lots of reading happened; we made a baking soda and vinegar volcano, much to the delight of all; the children played outside for hours; and perhaps most importantly, the house had a very quiet, peaceful feeling all day. I think Unplugged Sunday will become a regular tradition in our family. For future Sundays, I would like to plan more specific activities to do as a family, such as board game tournaments, nature walks, and holiday crafts.

If anyone else is intrigued by the idea of Unplugged Sundays, here is a list of posts for those just getting started. :)

Thanksgiving Weekend.

Happy Thanksgiving weekend to all my Canadian friends!

We had a lovely, quiet family weekend.

For the first time, I made an entire traditional Thanksgiving feast all on my own. I had a few tense moments--such as the one where I was already running late and discovered the turkey was still frozen after thawing in the fridge for two days. Or, the moment where I found the apple pie wouldn't fit into the oven at the same time as the roasting pan! But I managed to bring it all together in time. And although the gravy was too bland, it was a pretty good meal, if I may say so myself.

Also for the first time, we used the good china I inherited from my grandmother. Kira made some cute placecards for us--each had a picture on it of something we liked. Mine of course, was a picture of a book!

Amy was just not content in her highchair--she wanted to sit at the table with all of us. She often feels that way, now. She was happy to sit on my lap and taste the squash and potatoes right from my plate.

We also let her taste a bit of the apple pie and whipped cream I made for dessert--and I was pleased to see she loved it!

Please ignore the random counter debris in that picture!

Today we went on a walk to the park to collect some bits to make a nature table--or rather, a nature corner, because I don't have an entire table I could use. It's small and humble, but I like it.

The mini Indian corn, of course we did not find at the park. :)

And I baked the remains of the squash I cooked for supper yesterday. Look how much was still left! It was a squash my parents gave me, and honestly it must have been the biggest butternut squash I'd ever seen in my life.

The squash I baked today will go towards "pumpkin" pie and "pumpkin" bars, the latter of which is an autumn favourite around here.

It felt nice to have a quiet, lazy day today. Tomorrow is back to business. I will have laundry to catch up on, shop business to do, floors to clean, bread to bake, school work to give...but technically this evening is still the long weekend, so after I set the dishwasher going I think I'm going to sit down and cuddle with the ones I love. I've been trying lately to let loose a little more often--it's not something I'm naturally good at. :)

Apple Picking.

I've been itching to take the children apple picking lately. Last year, we didn't go until mid-October and it was disappointing trying to find decent apples on the well-picked trees. But throughout September I have been hesitating because we've been having so much rain. Every day I keep thinking either that it will rain, or that it will be too wet from the rain we had the day before.

Then yesterday I was reading in Mrs. Sharp's Traditions (a lovely book about creating family traditions and memories, which I will review soon) a page on family outings. The author was talking about how important it is to sometimes surprise children with a spontaneous outing, and I thought to myself, enough worrying already, let's just go!

Chris was agreeable, since worrying about the weather is just not something he does (I could learn a few lessons from that man). So this morning we were off...and wouldn't you know, that the day was just about perfect! Cool but not cold, breezy, mostly sunny...it started to sprinkle just as we were heading towards the van for the return trip. And the orchard itself was quite dry.

The farm we went to is a bit of a drive away, but it's so nice there.

They have a hayloft absolutely stuffed with straw where the kids can play...

And a little shop selling caramel apples, muffins, sausages and of course, apple fritters.

The trees were very heavily laden--we certainly had no problem finding enough apples this year!

 
Amy slept soundly the whole time. Have I mentioned that she is a whole six months old already? She looks huge to me, sleeping there in the stroller...times goes too fast.

It was a beautiful day and a lovely outing. I'm so glad we went, and made some new memories, and I didn't listen to my silly fears about mud puddles. As a bonus, when we got to the farm we met another homeschooling family, also with four children, who were just leaving, and we chatted with them a few minutes. It's always fun to meet other homeschoolers.

I have to say, having our children home with us all the time provides such a great opportunity to beat the crowds and do outings like this when all the other kids are in school. We have been to this same farm before on the weekend and it was rather crazy...but today it was downright tranquil.

Next to the eating area there was a bin filled up with cut apple wood, which I assume was going to be used for somebody's wood stove or fireplace. As I passed by it, I got a sort of shivery feeling all over...I know, it sounds a bit melodramatic, but--that bin of firewood seemed to represent country life to me, and for an instant I pretended that I was in our own yard and that bin of firewood was for us. And I thought of how right that would feel, to be storing up fuel for the coming winter.

Living in the city, having only one vehicle and limited funds, I don't get out into the country nearly as often as I'd like. But each time I do, I am reminded that yes, that is the life that I want. Someday....

Book Review - The Rhythm of Family: Discovering a Sense of Wonder through the Seasons

For those of you not familiar with her blog, Soulemama, Amanda Soule lives in the Maine countryside with her husband Steve and their five children. I enjoyed her first two books, The Creative Family and Handmade Home, so when I knew she was coming out with a third, I made sure to request that my library ordered it. They did, and I was first in line to have a peek.

I must say, it's a lovely book.

This time Amanda and Steve joined forces to write the book, which is divided into the 12 months of the year. For each month, there is one essay by "Mama," and one by "Papa." These essays were well written and a pleasure to read. In them, the Soules share moments in the life of their family, which have to do with the unique mood of each month.

After each month's two essays, there is at least one "Make" activity and a "Do" activity. The Make activities are some kind of seasonal craft, and the Do ones are simply something you can do with your children. For example, for October there are instructions for making a banner with homemade leaf prints, and then the suggestion of taking a "season's walk" with the children on a favourite trail to observe the changes there since last season.

The book contains quite a wide variety of crafts, recipes, and activities. All of them are pleasingly doable--even the knitting project looks like something I might be able to handle. I have not had a chance try anything yet--and sadly, I need to return the book to the library tomorrow!--but I will certainly take it out again and give some a try. Some activities I'd love to do: Double thick homemade hankies (with a special bag to store them in), herbal throat lozenges, oat bread...I love her tips on taking a family picnic and celebrating the winter solstice. Especially appreciated by me, bookworm that I am, is the extensive booklist at the back on topics such as gardening, natural healing, and whole foods.

This book does not deal with religious holidays, but rather the changing seasons of the natural world, and in this way it is appropriate for everyone, everywhere. If you are like me, and you'd like to do more with your children to mark the turning of the seasons, but lack the creative energy to think of something to do, I recommend picking this one up. I personally would love to have it in my permanent library, but as our budget can't currently handle that, I'll have to be content with borrowing it from the library. (Have I mentioned lately how grateful I am to have a beautiful public library only a few blocks away from us?)

A walk by the river.

Yesterday was the first day of school for public schools in Ontario. Since we homeschool, I usually like to do something fun on this day to ensure my own children feel they are getting a good deal. :)

We were all set to spend the day at the beach--wouldn't that have been nice? But alas, the weather was quite cool and breezy. Much too cold to wear a bathingsuit! Somehow, our weather has jumped from the hazy days of August right into the cold winds of October, overnight! Today is cold again, and windy and rainy.

But yesterday, I wanted to do something outside, so we took the children down to the Windsor riverfront to play and explore. The highlight for the boys was a huge 1911 steam engine which is preserved there.

The fence around the steam engine was covered in morning glories--so pretty.


Amy was looking cute in a wool vest knitted by Tonya. (I won the vest in a giveaway on her blog last summer!)

We spent some time watching the container ships travel down the Detroit River.

We stopped at a playground...


And walked down towards the Windsor/Detroit bridge.

Owen found a sculpture that was in the shape of a steam engine.


It perhaps wasn't as much fun as a trip to the beach, but it was a nice, relaxing afternoon all the same. I love taking leisurely walks all together as a family, when there is no time limit and nowhere we have to go afterward.

Another birthday come and gone.

My birthday came and went recently. I'm 33 years old now! I distinctly remember when my own mother turned 33. I thought she was rather ancient, of course. And I suspected that the world would probably come to an end before I managed to make it to that advanced age.

I was wrong, of course. A few blinks of an eye, and here I am. :)

My birthday was quite lovely this year. In the morning I went out shopping with my girls, and bought some new pajamas for myself (my old ones were so threadbare that you wouldn't even believe me if I told you about them). Then Chris took me out to lunch, and to our local piano store, which was having a sale! With much glee I picked out one of these:

My parents owned a Yamaha Clavinova (digital piano) when I was younger, and I used to love playing on it. For a few years now I have longed to have the ability to play music back in my life. I almost couldn't believe my own words when I told the saleslady I hadn't played for 15 years--it's been far too long. (My brief stint with our second-hand keyboard last year doesn't count--some of the keys didn't even produce a sound!)

Usually I prefer old fashioned ways over new technology--but this is one exception. I can't wait to be able to plug in some headphones and play some Chopin while the children are asleep. I certainly couldn't do that with an acoustic piano--especially when we live in such a small house.

Apparently one of the Yamaha plants was affected by the earthquake, so this model is not going to be available until December.  I suppose then it will be more of a Christmas present than a birthday present. Which is just fine, because it gives us time to save up the full purchase price.

I'm so excited! Once I brush up my own skills, I plan to teach my children to play, as well--if they want to learn.

The rest of my birthday was just as enjoyable. For supper we had the kind of simple food I love--gigantic salads with boiled eggs, and fresh baguette smothered in butter. Yum! Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for dessert (I considered making a cake but decided against it), and we were just about to go for a family walk when a heavy downpour commenced. So we sat in our livingroom in the dark and watched the storm, and once it was over, the children put on their rubber boots and we went for our walk. The air was so fresh and cool, and the kids had so much fun splashing in the puddles. (Too bad I forgot my camera.)

It was the perfect ending to the day!

Turning it off.

I have been feeling lately more and more the need to slow down, and do less.

With homeschooling about to start again, and the Christmas season for our Etsy shop looming, I know that I am going to have to be careful if I am not to be overwhelmed in the coming months.

I have gotten better organized this year, with schedules, calendars, and meal plans, and I get up earlier than the kids every day now, so I can shower, get dressed, and have breakfast before they even get up. I have cut out all extra-curricular activities save swimming lessons. But somehow, I still feel rushed, and I don't seem to have any free time.

Granted, I have four children, and one of them is only 5 months old! The baby takes up a lot of my time, and also sleep. I'm not beating myself up. I work hard, and I have lingering health issues as well that lower my energy levels.

It seems to me that right now, I need to try harder to simplify my life. I saw a quote once that said basically, simple living is deciding what is really important in one's life--and then discarding everything else. That makes sense to me, and yet it is tough, because I have already discarded so much from our lives. In many ways I am already very simple and old-fashioned. (Recently, my credit card was used fraudulently for a large purchase at the Apples iTunes store. When I called Visa, the woman asked me if I had an iPhone or iPod...I couldn't help laughing out loud. She obviously didn't know me at all.)

But I do, I admit, spend a fair amount of time on the computer. Okay, a lot of time. There are two things I mostly do: read simple living, homeschooling, and homemaking blogs, and research just about anything. I never, ever play a game (I haven't done so in many years) but I am addicted to something else--the acquisition of information. Seriously!

So lately, as I have been feeling flustered and busy and like there is just too much on my plate, and it is getting hard to concentrate--I have decided to cut way back on my computer time. Because it's not just an issue of time--it's an issue of information overload. With all the stuff I read online, combined with the number of books I read, it's just too much to assimilate.

I will continue to write my blog, because I love to do it, and because it provides an outlet for my thoughts. It doesn't even really matter if anyone reads it or not, as long as I can write my posts and get them out there. But I am no longer going to read any but a very small handful of blogs, and after I have breakfast in the morning, I'm going to turn the computer off for the day. I really, really love all the wonderful women I have met in the blogging community...Many of them have been more inspirational to me than they know. But it's time for me to step back. I only have so much time and more importantly, so much mental energy, to go around.

You know, often when I am out doing errands I get this overwhelming feeling that everyone around me is in a huge rush. People sometimes honk at me because I am driving "too slow--" as if I should be speeding with my babies in the back seat! And I have to wonder: Why is everyone in such a rush? Modern life has so many time saving conveniences. A lot of folks don't even cook their own food these days, so why doesn't anyone, seemingly, have any time?

All I can figure is that although some modern technology saves us time, other technologies use up more time. Maybe the people who honk at me are rushing home to play World of Warcraft or update their Facebook status or research hotel prices online or watch their favourite tv show. I don't know, maybe I'm wrong...I just get a sense that as a whole, the entire human race would do well to take a deep breath and step away from those screens for maybe a few days, or even a few weeks.

I originally wrote this post in a cheap spiral notebook at my diningroom table on a sunny Saturday morning in August. The pleasant drone of cicadas filled my ears, along with the occasional chirp of birds. The remains of breakfast--oatmeal and jam--were scattered across the table, and I felt serenely happy. It felt really nice to write my thoughts down on paper, instead of the computer screen.

I am very grateful that the wonder of modern technology will allow me to share the pages of my notebook with friends all over the world. But I'm also grateful that once I type the words and hit "publish," I can turn the machine off and turn my attention to other things.

Which is exactly what I will do. Is anyone else out there trying, like me, to step away from the screen more often?

What I Did On My Summer Vacation.

August has been a pretty laid back month for us, for the most part. The weather was lovely (not as hot as July) and we had some really nice times.

One fun thing we did was go blueberry picking with Grandma and Grandpa. The pickings were rather poor, it being near the end of the season, but I did get a good enough amount to freeze for snacking and smoothies. No blueberry jam or pies this year, though.

And after picking, Grandpa took us out for lunch and then for a romp at the lovely park at the Leamington marina.

I did buy a bucket of cherries at the grocery store and made jam, so my shelf of jam jars is looking respectable again. Too bad I didn't have the time or energy to give pickles a try this year. Next year, maybe.

I sighed every time I looked at the two tiny green tomatoes that will apparently be the sum total of our tomato harvest this year. (The other plant, although it is quite large, has zero tomatoes.) Then, a few days ago, one of my children broke off the upper tomato. (And then Owen exclaimed, "Now we won't be able to make spaghetti sauce!") So now, our 2011 tomato harvest = 1 very small, very green tomato. *sigh*

I picked the single zucchini that we got from the garden, and made a big chocolate zucchini cake--which I neglected to cook all the way through (oh well).

We planted sunflower seeds this year--and we got only one flower. It was tiny, to say the least. Yes, it was a dwarf variety, but the seed packet said the plants would reach 20 inches tall, and our plant couldn't be more than 6 inches. Not very impressive.

The garden wasn't all bad though. I've gotten a nice harvest of calendula for my healing salve--it's impressive how long the plants seem to be flowering!--and the pole beans we're growing against the fence are producing lots of tasty beans.

I actually have a surplus of calendula now, and I wish I could bring them into the house as cut flowers--but the stems seem to be covered with aphids as well as various other tiny bugs. I wonder if this is a common thing with this plant? I thought plants in the marigold family were supposed to repel bugs!
But enough about the garden. The past few weeks, I spent a lot of time smiling at the sight of my youngest, who has discovered how to bounce in her jolly jumper...

And bounce, and bounce, and bounce...

My parents gave us a highchair for her, and I can't believe how big she looks, sitting in it! So much for that newborn thing...it apparently lasts only about 5 minutes.

Well, that's about all that we've been up to. Nothing really much, which is just fine for this sleep deprived mommy.

Please dear readers of mine, tell me what you did on your summer vacations!

Summer break.

My regular readers will have noticed that my post count has dwindled considerably this summer. What can I say--summer makes me feel lazy. I just haven't felt like posting, or doing anything strenuous worth posting about. We haven't even been going out much as it's been disgustingly humid (and I am a wimp when it comes to hot humid weather.)

As well, Amy has morphed over the past month from a sleeping-through-the-night baby into a round-the-clock-nurser. Which, I hardly need to say, makes for one tired mommy. So I have been taking it easy and not worrying about my blog.

But rather than just leave you guys hanging I thought it would only be decent of me to come back here and say, "I'm on vacation for the rest of August!" This is what I did last year too. I'm going to try to keep the computer turned off as much as I can, and concentrate on getting myself and the house well organized before homeschooling starts up again in September.

So, see you in September! I hope all my friends are having a wonderful summer this year. I don't have any simple living-ish pictures for this post, so I will have to use baby pictures. Sorry! :)