Tea Time

I never take the time to have tea. I have a cabinet full of lovely tea cups and tea pots and I usually just look at them and think of how lovely it would be to take tea. There are numerous containers of tea in the cupboard.  It gets purchased and then it sits there. 

But today, I decided was the day I would take tea in the afternoon and delight in the experience. I loved it.  What a wonderful idea to incorporate that soothing respite into each day.

Usually at about 2:00 each afternoon, I turn into a lazy bones.  You might say that I turn into a total couch potato, however a Lazy Boy potato would be ultimately more accurate. Instead of succumbing to the temptation to take a two hour nap, totally waste a good afternoon and not be able to get to sleep tonight -- I put the tea kettle on. The I unearthed my favorite yellow tea pot accompanied by a daisy themed cup and saucer.  The little details of the teapot are incredibly beautiful, yet simple. The nob on the lid, the end of the spout and at the bottom of the handle -- all little heart shapes. It makes me happy to see the tiny pot and even more so, to make use of it.

I filled the mesh strainer with  a couple of scoops of my favorite -- hot cinnamon herbal tea. It smells and tastes heavenly. And I feel quite genteel and fancy with this touch of civility in my afternoon.

My plan is to do this again tomorrow. I believe I need some shortbread or maybe scones to broaden the experience (and my tummy) even further.

It's long past nap time. I didn't need it. My energy was buoyed by a pause that fed me in so many ways. On another day, perhaps I will invite a friend over for tea -- with crumpets?

Happy Day!

Just a good day at the Best of Times Farm. Don't you love it when life is grand and you like getting up in the morning?

Well Woven

Whenever you put color together, it creates something beautiful. I'm learning to weave. It's so freeing that that weaving can be as simple or as complicated as you like. For the time being, mine shall be quite simple -- and colorful -- and fun. It's one of those seemingly basic skills that have been around for a very long time is many cultures around the world. It's a simple act of bringing something together, weaving weft through warp and creating something new and sturdy, useful and beautiful.

Color! Color and More Color!

Clouds of prepared wool

Oh my but I love color.  As a child, I loved all things colorful, but there was always and encouragement to be more tasteful in my brightness, tone things down a bit.  When I was a young adult I believe that black and white was mature, conservative and quite professional.  So I kept it calm and professional for a long time.

Then one day I just exploded and had to have color in my life.  Lots of it.  Even on things that are understood to not be colorful -- I wanted there to be color.  Tired of always having modest color cars --red, pink and yellow became the new norm.  Houses are meant to be brown, black, white and taupe.  I had a house that was turtle yellow with bright pink shutters.  It was delightful.  Having color again was like I'd been deprived of air, and finally had an endless supply of invigorating oxygen, gulping it in to keep lively.

I hear the terminology that some people are afraid of color.  What the heck does that mean, and how did it ever become a thing!?  What on earth ever possessed a group of people to decide that it is a good and desirable state to be lacking color? 

One of the pivotal moments of joy in my life came the first time I saw "The Wizard of Oz" in color. It was the early 70's before I saw the movie on my grandmother's color television. Before that, I'd always loved the movie (except for the scary flying monkeys) and had no idea that there was that change from a black and white setting while Dorothy was in Kansas, to vibrant color when she landed in Oz.  Oh my, but color made such a difference in the joy of watching that movie.  Many of the scenes made so much more sense and the contrast between Dorothy's two world became even more pronounced.

We raise Pygora goats for their fiber and because the make such wonderful companions.  I'm on a wonderful quest to harvest, spin, dye, weave, crochet and otherwise use all that luscious yarn- to- be in whatever way I can.  I'm quickly becoming a fiberaholic and someday I'm hopeful my skills might match that level of fiber acquisition. Maybe I'm not overly concerned about that.

The above photo shows the final clouds of fiber from an entire years worth of Sweet Pea, Daisy and Indiana Jones growing out there coats. I'm so proud.  There were so many dye colors to chose from -- it was a heady moment of possibility.  You'll notice that one batch, upper left, is left au natural.  That's because all colors are beautiful -- not just the bold.

I had pink hair once, too.

More Than I wanted to Know

My ancestry on my mother's side of the family is well documented.  My family has been in America for a very long time.  In fact, research shows that a family member came over with the second wave of pilgrims, after the Mayflower.  I know that a multiple great grandmother was a Shawnee Indian, but she was only noted as "a squaw" with no name given.  Many in my line fought in the Revolutionary War, the Civil War and other wars after that.  I am quite proud of my heritage.

On the father's side of the family, we know that there's a good share of German in there as Casper Wilhelm Von Knecht came from that far off land.

But I like those commercials that connect you with all sorts of information and give you names of family members that are out there waiting to meet you.  Unfortunately, I didn't salivate in a tube that gives you leaves of information on the computer.  I went with the one that gave me ridiculously vague information.  It pretty much confirmed things, but gave me a more general connection with the European continent.  I liked that.  It made me feel a bit more refined -- fancy even.

Then I turned to the page that you see above.  It gives my Neanderthal variant.  Who wants to know what there Neanderthal number is and that they are in the 56th percentile.  Not me.  So much for feeling fancy.  Indicators include that of having  straight hair that doesn't curl easily.  Yep, that's me.  The list also included heavy back hair.  Fortunately that genetic trait missed me, but my Daddy didn't.  He was a bear.  So my Neanderthal-ness is well represented. 

I was really embarrassed.  Should I start a support group?   Should I delete said information? How do I balance that information and still feel like a civilized, well educated woman of this century? Do I need to buy a club for a fashion accessory?

Maybe I can't.  I confessed this to my hairdresser, primarily because I'm too primitive to have a therapist.  I thought if I could just admit this major flaw in my genetic code, I could deal with it better.  Admitting the problem is the first step, right?

We laughed about it.  Then she gave me a whole new outlook.  This could be manipulated to explain every weakness and failing, every mistake and failure I've ever had. "Why can't you be better at math, Karen?" My highly plausible response could be, "Well, you know, we Neanderthals are not good with digits. Can't help it."

Then I realized that for my whole lifetime I could have had this information at my disposal! What a valuable statistic I have in my arsenal.  This is working for me now.

There may be numerous mistakes in spelling, grammar and syntax, but I feel a need to remind you that we Neanders just aren't so good at this stuff.  That is just how I roll.

Sweet Goats

These are the three goats I turn to in setting a good example.  That's Hyacinth, the mother in the middle, flanked by her kids Dandelion and Daffodil.  They are low key, slow and steady.  They are friendly but not too friendly.  They are skittish but not too bad. 

Hyacinth is a pretty LaMacha doe with a nice beard and pretty blue eyes.  Sometimes people think she's funny looking and wonder why we cut her ears off.  LaManchas have little elfin or gopher ears and they are bred that way.  I have no idea why someone decided to breed for the lesser ear is better trait, but it's an American concoction. Hyacinth was bred with a Nubian buck. Nubians have long luxurious pendulous ears.  The babies have the length, but they stick out more than they hang.

A year or so ago Hyacinth was very sick and wasn't interested in anything.  We coaxed her back to health and I knew we'd turned the corner and she would certainly get well, the day she played with the Velcro on my winter coat.  She loves to undo Velcro.  She'll do it over and over again like a toddler with a new game. She's tender and doesn't run away, just gently separates the two parts of the Velcro strip.

The other goats might be prettier than Hyacinth and her twins or exude a more rambunctious personality, but I love the fact that I can count on them to be the calm presence in the midst of the barnyard.  Sometimes I think I'm getting old and boring.  Maybe I am to those around me, I'm just not going to ask. But life isn't always about bouncing around and looking pretty or even outdoing others. Sometimes the best times, are when we allow ourselves to become that calm, reliable presence.

Celebrate on a Daily Basis!

"Celebrate every day"

Right next to the little yellow cow creamer that I think is adorable, primarily because it is yellow, the lid off my yogurt reads, "Celebrate every day." Forget fortune cookies! Maybe we should always take the advice from our yogurt containers.

I don't celebrate nearly enough.  The last time I had my good china out was . . . well, I can't remember.  It does take some effort to celebrate, doesn't it?  Maybe I'm doing it wrong.

Come to think of it, when I think of celebrating something, I think of lots of work.  I expect there to be lots of planning, coordinating people, food, decorations and activities. Usually when there's a celebration, I'm too tuckered out to enjoy it.

If I'm going to celebrate every day, I need to change my definition. I like the idea of celebrating as a daily activity.  I need to apply one of the mantras of the time and "simplify."

Just the other night my husband suggested we take two guest who were staying with us to a nearby beach and watch the sunset. With no preparation on my part, I got in the Jeep and we were off.  In a matter of minutes we were lined up on the beach overlooking Lake Huron, watching the sunset.

Lake Huron sunset

No food, no music, no planning, no exhaustion, no activities. Just four lawn chairs + four people + one little dog on my lap = a celebration.  With that kind of equation I can celebrate every day!!  I think I will.  Celebrate every day.

Free Little Library

We had our grand opening of the "Marilyn Y. Knight Memorial Free Little Library" midsummer.  It has been such a rewarding experience to see our small establishment used so much that we've had to restock several times.  The tourist traffic of those enjoying fun in  the sun at the top of Michigan's Thumb, seem to take our road as a convenient thoroughfare.  We've had notes, painted rocks, lots of donated books and good wishes from members of the surrounding community.  I just love the responsibility of having this nook at the end of my driveway.

My mom, loved to do little things and sometimes grand things for people -- some she knew, some she'd never seen before and would never see again.  If she took her car in for any sort of service -- she took donuts and cider.  If she got the hankering, she'd buy dinner for a stranger without them knowing she had paid the bill.  It is so much fun doing things for others. 

The house is far enough off the road, that I never see who has stopped at the library.  I don't know who has been thankful for what we've offered them.  The children's books go very fast, so I am especially happy to know that children are getting their little hands on the written word.

I established the library in Mom's memory because I thought she'd delight in the idea that people were having wonderful adventures with books and enriching life, one page at a time.  Mom and I shared a love of books, and stories.  Of course, she's the one who started me on that journey.  It's one little magical pocket of happiness.

The Best of Times Farm, Because . . .

It didn't take my husband and I very long to come up with the name for our little farm.  We moved out here to fulfill some wonderful dreams and to enjoy making some fabulous memories.  When Dave and I tell people the name of our farm, they always like it, but often ask why or how we came up with it.

The famous Charles Dickens quote from The Tale of Two Cities, begins with the phrase "It was the best of times it was the worst of times."  I have to admit, I haven't read that particular literary classic yet, but I'm assuming he's talking about the existence of opposites in life--the yings and yangs.


But I'm claiming the good stuff.  I've had enough bad for a lifetime.  I know more negative and sad experiences will be part of my life -- it's normal.  But I'm over so many things that just don't matter to me anymore.  I'm out to live out the very best of times.

Some of those intentions are a little ridiculous in their celebratory nature.  I own that.  I love it. 

BonBon graduated from puppy class. 

This wonderful picture of our tiny puppy, is a great example of my life being lived.  It's a little silly. Some folks might think its a little over the top.  But it delights me.  It makes me happy.  In the end, that's really all we've got.

This afternoon, we had cement poured in a small two sided old barn.  It's a wonderful space that has all sorts of potential.  I couldn't just let that cement stand on its own.  So I gathered several cups of glitter -- silver, pink and purple.  My husband, Dave got right into with me and helped to spread it over the floor.  We couldn't get right into some corners, so Dave got the leaf blower out so we could do a better job of spreading out glitter.

I want to always make sure I spread my glitter far and wide even into the dark and forgotten corners! 

Milk and Eggs

My version of "Cowboy Quiche"

"I can't get no-o sat-is-fac-tion . . . " go the lyrics to one of those songs that gets stuck in your head.  Satisfaction is one of those things we all need, strive for, want, hope for -- for a lifetime.

When I made quiche for dinner, using my favorite recipe from The Pioneer Woman (cowboy quiche recipe), I felt a truly significant sense of satisfaction.

The directions call for eight eggs.  We get about two eggs a day from our Buff Orpingtons, Clove and Cinnamon.  It took four days worth of eggs to make our dinner.  It took the girls several days longer to create each of those little bundles of nutrition.

Petunia, my Nubian dairy goat provided the rich and wholesome milk.  She's milked every evening providing us with an abundance of dairy for our daily needs. It took several years to fulfill my dream of having a goat to milk and to use that milk.

It is incredible satisfying to have a hand in gathering the ingredients for our dinner.  I know where it came from. I know how well the animals are treated and even spoiled. I'm proud of my determination to live in this manner.

Being fully cognizant of the long term process of obtaining my milk and eggs, I have a greater appreciation for my food.  The quiche was delicious and it's easy to hurriedly eat without really tasting, and in my case, eat too much food as if I'm on autopilot.  But with the goods that come from Petunia, Clove and Cinnamon -- I'm a bit more protective.  I don't want to waste those resources.  Generations before us always did that.  They didn't eat just to eat because there wouldn't be enough.  They were aware of how much work went into their food --both on the part of the animal, the plants and the people -- mostly because they had worked right along in the process of bringing the food to the table.

There is a wonderful sense of satisfaction in participating in my own nutrition.

Everyday Miracles

                        Just because you can explain something, doesn't mean it's not a miracle.

Beauty Everywhere

Large round bales of hay as far as I could see.  There is a simple basic beauty in farmlands. I love to witness these pastoral settings during each season of the year.  It's a living quilt that causes me to feel a palpable warmth of the spirit.

Divine Visitors

One of dozens of monarch butterflies landing on the white flowered butterfly bush.

Butterflies are just breathtaking.  They are one of those delightful creations that take my breath away.  They always have and I dare say that they always will. Butterflies bring a sense of wonder and awe with them.

They have actually come to mean much more to me than just something beautiful.  They have become my primary symbols of faith and renewal.  Monarchs, because of their vivid beauty and their royal moniker, represent the transformational quality that faith provides as well as the very presence of God. 

We released monarchs at the graveside services for both of my parent's funerals and other times of celebration as well.   Their beauty speaks to me in a deep and meaningful way that truly fills me with spiritual abundance.

Today, I kept seeing monarch butterflies flitting by my picture window.  Deciding to investigate further, I walked out the backdoor and was shocked by what I saw outside.  I smelled the butterfly bush before I saw it.  The sweetness attracted me, bees, butterflies and a hummingbird.  There were 20-30 butterflies hovering on, around and above the bush.  Mesmerized begins to described the sense of wonder that enfolded me.

As a preacher by trade, my mind went directly to the story of Moses as he meets the presence of God in the visage of a burning bush.  This is truly how Moses much have felt on that occasion.  I was in the presence of something sacred.  Right outside my backdoor -- there was a sacred place.  And my sacred visitors were bestowing blessing rapidly.

I really believe that God (aka the Divine) usually works just that way -- bringing the sacred right to our backdoor welcome mat and readily making blessings as accessible as possible.

Winning Ribbons

As a kid I loved movies and books where kids went to the fair and won ribbons for projects they did and animals they raised.  Now that I'm an adult I hold this secret dream of winning a ribbon for the best jam in the county.  There's just something amazingly rewarding about that little strip of dolled up ribbon that tells us that we've done something well.  It's a statement piece that declares we've been approved.

Three goats and I attended the Michigan Fiber Festival in Allegan, Michigan.  I've wanted to go there and show animals for quite a while.  It took an enormous amount of work to prepare for the festival, to raise my goats, to groom them, to pack the camper!

My big reasonable goal was to win a third place ribbon -- the least glamorous of all.

Here's Sweet Pea (in the foreground), she won a third place ribbon in the senior doe division of the pygora goat show.  A ribbon!

This little darling pygora goat is Delphinium, Phin for short. He won third place in the junior buckling category.  A ribbon!

This beautiful girl is Poppy.  Our herd name is "The Price Bouquet" therefore the bulk of our goats are named for flowers -- we have a bouquet of goats instead of a herd.

She won first place in the second sub-category of young does, then won first prize among all young does and then, was awarded Reserve Grand Champion among all does. We won ribbons!

I was shocked, floored, bowled over and so totally delighted that three of my goats were recognized as an example of what the breed should look like. 

Now, I feel like I'm a legitimate goat herder.  It's good to know that we've been doing some things correctly in raising healthy, good quality goats. 

Be The Change

What did you do to change the world today? I changed my socks. That counts.

At our local watering hole the other night, I had this napkin as I was eating my chicken wings and Coke.  I love it when common household items can be so entertaining! This is an unusual twist on one of my favorite quotes--

                                   "Be the change you want to see in the world"

                                                                                  --Mahatma Gandhi

Sometimes being part of the solution instead of the problem can be amazingly uncomplicated, albeit a bit more demanding than changing your socks.

People can be awfully quick to spew hatred, complain and otherwise make more trouble in an already trouble-filled world.  That approach  doesn't help change, that perpetuates problems -- hatred, destruction, lack of cooperation, fear, and on and on it goes.

How can one individual with limited power and means make any difference? You can be a positive voice in the orbit of your daily world.  The effect of smiling at people can be amazing.  Most people smile right back, probably glad to make a positive human connection.  My personal belief is that prayer is a very real way to deal with life and be an active participant in making the world better. If prayer isn't something you resonate with, how about sending good thoughts, positive energy or holding someone in your heart with love and care. If someone criticizes a segment of society, can you find an alternate opinion to offer that doesn't involve hate? Engage in gentle balance not argument.

You can change your world everyday. It's a very intentional choice to embrace the goodness of what life has for us and refusing to be lessened by the negative. 

The Very Best Goat Milk Lotion

Petunia Catherine my Nubian queen of the barnyard

Meet Petunia.  She's my three year old Nubian goat.  Of our herd of 15 she is the largest.  She's a smart girl and doesn't let that lower her confidence or self worth. Petunia is large and in charge.  She is the bossiest and the loudest of all the girls. Petunia is also very sweet and personable.

In the photo above, she's impatiently waiting for me to milk her for the evening session.  I look forward to that time everyday as I share in an activity that has occurred around the world for centuries. I feel honored to be in the company of those who have had a hands on relationship with an animal who provides food and more. Petunia provides us with copious amounts of milk.  I freeze some, make soap, cheese, we drink, cook with and use as much as we can on a daily basis. 

Goat lotion is a wonderful way to use this incredible rich milk.  The lotion feels decadent in its silky coverage and it nourishes my skin as no other lotion has.  I'd like to share the recipe that I've gleaned from a variety of sources. It's relatively simple.

Special equipment you'll need includes a candy or cheese thermometer and a stick blender. 

Recipe:
                 10.2 ounces of goat milk
                 10.2 ounces of distilled or purified water
                  3.7 ounces of grapeseed oil
                   1.2 ounces of shea butter
                   1.2 ounces of emulsifying wax
                   Vitamin E--contents of a pill or a squirt from bottle
                    Some sort of preservative is advices - I use a squirt of optiphen
                     Essential oils -- about 20 drops for this recipe. This is optional as the lotion is just
                           delightful unscented

Melt the oil and butter, then add wax.  Watch this step carefully as you don't want it to get too hot or boil.  Set this container to the side.  I use a pot of water with a mason jar holding my ingredients as a makeshift double boiler.  At that point I wipe out the pan and add the water and milk.  Heat these two ingredients until they reach 80-100 degrees.  Poor the oil, butter and wax mixture into the water/milk mix and immediately mix with your stick blender for about five minutes.  This is when you add the remaining ingredients.  Blend again for another minute.  Pour final mixture into your selected containers.  The lotion will thicken nicely as it cools.  Makes about 32 ounces.

Make sure you save some of this for yourself as it seems like everyone you know will want some.

Common Ground

Meet BonBon.  She's a five month old Yorkshire Terrier.  There's a reason why they refer to terriers as the terrors of the dog world.  They are wonderfully feisty and mischievous canines.  I happen to prefer terriers to all other breed categories.  They have the most delightful way at looking at the world and I love to be around them.  I happen to have two.  My other pup is a Miniature Schnauzer named Truffle. But I decided it was time for a completely portable, take anywhere kind of dog.

BonBon attended her first obedience training class last Saturday.  She was with a baby Rottweiler and a young German Shepherd. As you may know, small dogs never know they are small and large dogs haven't a clue they are big, so I think it's safe to say that the field was level for all.

To my delight, it was a very positive class.  I've seen too many trainers with a need for dominance and control.  I have rarely felt a need to prove my dominance and prowess with a thumb or demonstrate my brute force.  With a desire for true transparency, I must admit that I currently have a nasty male goat I'm using force with, only so that I can have a reasonable working relationship with him.

With the other 14 goats, my dogs and especially  BonBon -- I want an enjoyable camaraderie with them.  It's difficult to do that with punishment as the common mode of communication. 

Therefore, when BonBon does was she's supposed to do -- she receives a tiny morsel of goodness and my honest praise.  When she doesn't do something the way I've instructed -- that stuff is momentarily withheld until we get to the correct response.  That's learning.  If she does something bad, she hears a tone of voice that she find unpleasant.  We have a great friendship forming, she loves to learn and she learns quickly. 

My dad could change my behavior by the movement of his eyebrow.  Seriously.  He could arch it up like a chevron or an upside down v.  It was a bit terrifying. It always changed my behavior and I really hated getting that look.

I think animals and people alike are much more prone to learn in a positive setting.  Relationships are much more likely to form into something positive when the little things we do are appreciated.  When you are training a four legged animal, you reward the littlest behaviors that point to the ultimate behavior you are working towards. How amazing things would be if we took the time to "reward" all the wonderful little things that occur around us. 

The WIsdom of Willie Wonka

Mrs. Humphrey would read to her class of second graders often. I remember begging her to continue reading "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." It wasn't right to make us wait to find out what would happen next to Charlie, Grandpa, Violet and all the rest in that magical chocolate factory.  It was an amazing story.  Then I was able to see the masterpiece of a movie with Gene Wilder as the perfect actor to play Wonka.  There will never be anyone who can bring that role to life the way he did.

Near the end of the movie, when Willie, Charlie and Grandpa are in the wonkavator experiencing Mr. Wonka's crowning invention.  It's an experience beyond poor Charlie Bucket's wildest dreams and he will be able to live right in the middle of that dream with his whole family.  Willie Wonka asks Charlie if he knows what happens to the boy who got everything he ever wanted.  Charlie shakes his head.  Gene Wilder, with his unruly crown of hair, sparkling eyes and impish smile, replied that the boy lived happily ever after.

All these years later, I still love that movie. I was probably an adult before I was able to see the production in color.  That contribution just doubled the fantasy for me.

It isn't very often in life that we can say we have everything we ever wanted.  I'm not sure we even realize it when we do, since we are forever programmed and reprogrammed to want to have more and achieve more.

I am one lucky woman because there's nothing else that I require or need to be happy.  Sure, I'd like to be a best selling author, raise prize winning goats, have a couple more dogs, and definitely weigh less.  But, here I am just being happy and delighting in what life has for me in this place and time.

My dream of having a farm has come to fruition. My little herd of goats is such a joy. My love of crafts is nurtured by an enormous dedicated space to create to my hearts content. I have the privilege of doing what I want, when I want and the way that I want to.  This is my time to let my dreams come true and live in my happily ever after.  I don't need to be looking to the next hurdle to achieve and receive something.  I'm already there.

I'm living my dream. 

Doting mother Sweet Pea, cares for her newborns Pansy and Delphinium.