Renting Mother Nature

Rent Mother Nature
This is one of those funny little things that you stumble upon in life and think...what a brilliant idea. There is increasingly becoming the need for farmers to become creative in the way they sell their items in order to be even slightly profitable...or even to be able to keep their farms going. Many are sharing memberships to their farms and each member gets a share in the produce but this is only good for farms that have an array of products or huge memberships for a single type crop.
Around here it seems the best option is to sell at the farmers market and perhaps farm gate sales but you also have a huge increase in insurance costs if someone is buying anything from you and if anyone is stepping on your property. You have to sell a fair amount in order to make it worth while.
Organic products are increasing in demand but the time and cost to become certified are not the easiest.
This is a great idea in that it expands the market - it is a gift item rather then a take home to be consumed item. It is value added in that the actual food item is worth only a portion of the total package. And it is fun and different. If it came from a Canadian company I think everyone would be getting something from them for their next Christmas or Birthday present.

Getting to know your friends

Thought it would be fun to post my answers to this email sent to me on-line. Fun to look back at it in a couple years to see how things have changed

1. What time did you get up this morning? 6:38
2. Diamonds or pearls? diamonds
3. What was the last movie you saw? twister
4. Where is the most beautiful place you've ever been? so many...so hard to choose....maybe the swiss mountains
5. What do you usually have for breakfast? oatmeal with yogurt, fruit, nuts and seeds
6. What is your favorite food? usually burritos....right now salty and sweet foods
7. What food do you dislike? liver
8. What is your favorite CD lately? don't have one - I keep flipping radio stations (classical, rock and country have all been featured this week alone)
9. What kind of car do you drive? sunfire
10. Favorite sandwich? bacon, tomato and pickle
11. What characteristics do you despise? lying
12. Favorite item of clothing? jeans
13. If you could go anywhere in the world for a vacation, where would you go? Peru
14. What color is your bathroom? off white and pink - yuck
15. Favorite brand of clothing? cheap ;)
16. Where would/will you retire? probably live on vancouver island and travel to different destinations
17. What was your most memorable birthday? 30 - I was totally surprised
18. Favorite sport to watch? Watch on TV or in real life? Live hockey
19. Furthest place you are sending this? Merritt
20. Who do you expect to send this back to you? dunno
21. Person you expect to send it back first? dunno
22. Favorite saying? no worries
23. When is your birthday? may 17
24. Are you a morning person or a night person? night
25. What is your shoe size? 7
26. Pets? chickens
27. What did you want to be when you were little? which age? marine biologist - 13
28. What are you today? secretary
29. What is your favorite candy? reese's peanut butter cups.......oh dear, now I will have to go get some after work....darn
30. What is your favorite flower? casablanca lily or maybe a pure red amaryllis
31. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? August 30 - the first day of "retirement"
32. What are you listening to right now? Iceberg radio - Pop galore station (currently playing Madonna - Forbes top earner in the female singer category - girl's still got it!)
33. What was the last thing you ate? ginger biscotti and chocolate milk (afternoon sweet craving)
34. Do you wish on stars? sometimes
35. Do you believe in Angels? not in the physical sense
36. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? yellow
37. Pet peeves? self-centered people
38. Favorite Television show? CSI
39. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Rupert
40. Do you like the person who sent this to you? yup
41. Favorite soft drink? root beer
43. Hair Color? brown
44. Favorite restaurant? super casual - Kim Wah's, nicer - The Grapevine
45. Siblings? yes
46. What was your favorite toy as a child? My Little Pony's and Barbies
47. Summer or Winter? summer
48. Hugs or kisses? hugs
49. Chocolate or vanilla? chocolate
50. Do you want your friends to e-mail you back? yes
51. When was the last time you cried? a couple of weeks I think
52. What is under your bed? box of wrapping supplies (paper, ribbon, cards, stickers, bags, etc)
53. Who is the friend you've had the longest? Kathryn
54. What did you do last night for dinner? homemade chicken burgers and mccain oven fries with lots of ketchup and a lemon tart for dessert - too much
55. Favorite smell? my hubby
56. What are you most afraid of? losing my hubby
57. How many keys on your key ring? about 5 i think......got the man's truck today - only 3 on that ring
58. How many years at your current job? 3 years, 2 months
59. Favorite day of the week? saturday
60. How many towns have you lived? victoria, shawnigan, apsley, vancouver (east and kits), cowichan bay, cobble hill
61. Do you make friends easily? not really....kind of shy.....silly really...have to come out of that for piglet's sake
62. How many folks will you send this to? just a couple

Java Jolt

Mmmmmm...coffee......you got to know I am feeling better as I can now enjoy a cup of coffee again. Not that I should be...it would be better for piglet if I didn't but we all have our little things. I am not having more then two cups a day so I guess I am doing okay. I really need to make sure I have lots of calcium rich foods and then it's all good....right?!?

Can you sense the worried, guilty, am I hurting my baby thing in the background. That's me the worrywort. I know I need to eat more veggies and last night I even managed to make it multi-salad night for dinner - just what the body ordered. Cucumber salad, carrot salad (made with yogurt again - yummy)and two different pasta salads - one cheese/ham with veggies, the other chicken peanut with veggies. It is so nice to actually feel some desire to create a meal again and not just what is quick and easy and minimal effort.

This past Saturday I went with a group of girlfriends to have lunch and our tea leaves read. It was what I would call an interesting experience. For some reason my reading included my being sad, that everything was going to be okay and not to worry. For a while there it had me a little worried but she also said that I had lost my "pixie like self" and needed to re-find it. It was an afternoon of contemplation about how I had been feeling for months...even prior to getting pregnant and strangely enough she was right. So believe it or not I had the best Sunday in absolute eons. I just felt good, physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually. It was the "get over it" moment I had been needing without even realizing it. Happiness comes from within and I have been wallowing in something negative that's for sure.

Sunday Mom and I went to the baby show in Sidney. It was such a fun day. Tons of fun little gifts to be had from lots of different stores, etc. I found out there is a store in Victoria that specializes in cloth diapers so I will be making a trip in there to figure out which kind I am going to use. Seems like there are all kinds of options depending on what you like so that is exciting. I also found a company that has bamboo onesies - they are so soft that I actually bought one. Believe it or not that is the first new item I have purchased for the baby since the piggy bank that I bought to tell Andy we were pregnant with. I also got the name of a store that carries all kinds of the baby wraps that are really good for people with back problems - like me - so I'll have to make a trip in there.

Last night I got a phone call that was exciting - apparently my good energy really came out on Sunday as I won the stroller that Island Child Magazine had as their door prize. Crazy! They are dropping it off on wednesday.

Perhaps this Pixie is starting to perk up :)

Week 12

So time seems to go fast yet also extremely slow right now. Every day seems to drag on forever. I know that it is mainly due to feeling so tired and never knowing when I am going to feel sick again. I thought I had it all under control but now I get hit at all hours of the day with varying degrees. Some days it is just the cough and gag as I call it, others it is a full out run to the washroom. I know we are getting close to this coming to an end and I am fully living into it. Feeling good and full of energy - soon....very soon. Until then I will continue with the crackers and gingerale.

Exciting news...a not so exciting body

On monday we began sharing our exciting news. Andy and I are expecting!

And so begins an emotional rollercoaster. The what have we done, how is this going to change life, etc, etc. I am very excited don't get me wrong but when I feel like heaving for the first 5 hours of the day it can be slightly difficult to remain excited every moment of the day. I am currently feeling exhausted - all the time. I just want to curl up in bed with a million blankets on me and nap - nothing more - nothing less.

I have told "piglet" (doesn't my darling husband come up with the most wonderful names) that we are going to be over this nausea thing by monday. Do babies that are less then an inch long listen to these requests? Probably not. I just want to feel normal at work again. It has been a rough week with the boss away and I am supposed to hold down the fort. Can't exactly call in sick now can I.

I am sure in a couple of weeks I'll look back at this and think - it wasn't really that bad. Until then I'll just keep slugging through it.

Time Flies

Wow, an entire month has come and gone since last I posted something online. I'd like to say that I have been so extremely busy that I just didn't have time however that would be untrue. More a case of forgetting the camera, then forgetting the camera cord, then not really wanting to type anything or maybe just not wanting to share of myself. It has been a quiet month, a month of thoughts and ponderings but not ones I want to share with others. Not that I am having bad thoughts but that I have been thinking a lot about life and what the future year(s) will look like for me. Deeply personal and not thoughts then I am even ready to voice out loud yet. I am sure even Andy is wondering about the quiet....soon, I shall share....but for now it is just swirling and forming and coming together.

I have been doing some little things. We have started to paint the trim in the house. So far the front entrance and part of the family room has been done. Nothing more then a couple hours of work but it sure makes a difference.

Last night I moved the poinsettia planter outside. This may sound like a simple end of season cleanup however I have had some of these poinsettias for 2 or 3 years. Every year cutting them back and gradually coaxing them to grow again - bushing into a beautiful big display of greenery all year long - the problem is that they create a sticky mess underneath them and I now have two large areas on the carpet that hopefully will come clean with a good wash. I realized that it would be much more pleasant to chose a different plant for the house and have a happy husband then keeping the plant and having a husband that mumbles about sticky floors. Crazy how you can become so attached to things - it is a plant - yes there is the fact that I have time into it - watering, trimmimg, etc but is it really worth it - NO! Not when your partner in life is upset about it. I think this is the start of some serious cleaning up and purging. Should be interesting.

Isn't it True

Trust that little voice in your head that says, 'Wouldn't it be interesting if...'; and then do it.
-Duane Michals

This is such a profound statement because my entire life is full of wouldn't it be interesting....but not full of doing it. And it is the fear of failure that holds me back. More because I have a spouse that I don't want to let down. To put financial burden on. I am not fearful of it for myself. I have been there and gotten through it. Pulled myself out of a big financial hole with the support of friends and family but I didn't have a mortgage then, I didn't have a spouse that counts on me to do a percentage of the household bills. I don't know...maybe that is an excuse to cover up the fear of failing.

Maybe it is because I feel like I am the queen of procrastination and don't feel that I would accomplish anything on my own or maybe that I don't think I could actually create something that would generate more financially then I current make.

Life.....one sure can complicate it.

Everyday brings something

It is amusing how we feel like we haven't done anything...like today is no different then the day before and yet if you actually look at the day and what you did, experienced, who you talked to or saw, everyday is unique. I was going to say that there is nothing going on in my day today. That it is just another normal day but that would be a lie.

Today is different then yesterday because.....
-I ate rice crispies for breakfast.
-I remembered to take my vitamins.
-I am listening to Christmas music at this very moment.
-I am going shopping after work for Andy's Christmas present.
-Andy and I are going to decorate the Christmas tree tonight.
-I just finished eating meat and veggie pies we brought back from Pender Island Bakery.

All this and I am only at noon!

As a side note I wanted to show some pictures of some wood children's items that I think are really neat. Perhaps when I get my scroll saw....someday...soon I hope...I will make some of these.

Foster Kid Project

The other day I was reading about a young guy who developed a program for foster kids. Because of the often quick removal of children from the household many foster children come to their foster homes with little more then a garbage bag with a few items in the bag. This young man didn't like the idea of a garbage bag so he created a program so that every foster child receives a bag for their belongings. It is such a small thing but so special for each child during what can be such an emotionally unsettling time. I wonder if it is being done around here and if not what it would take to make happen.

Loafing around

This past weekend was one of those weekends were life is truly at it's best. I took a course on saturday - Artisan Baking. Bagels, challah, ciabatta, sweet and sour rye, focaccia, cinnamon buns and a multi seed bread were the spoils of the days. It was a day of being immersed in something I truly enjoy. Measuring, mixing, shaping, baking. The textures, smells and sight of everything going on in the kitchen was amazing.

Andy and Todd did a taste test of all the different breads when I got home that night.

On Sunday morning I came downstairs to this sight.

Andy was already outside cleaning out the gutters. Hadn't even stopped to have breakfast yet. After breakfast- yes he did come in - I helped out with the gutters and did some garden cleanup. Andy power washed the sidewalks after cleaning his "fleet". He wrote me messages in the sidewalk before cleaning them completely. Every once and awhile he does the sweetest things - never the typical flowers and chocolates which makes it all the better.

We went for a belated Thanksgiving at Mom and Dad's. Nothing says yummy like turkey dinner.

Curled up in bed last night (Sunday) I couldn't help but think about what a relaxing and enjoyable weekend it had been. If only everyday was that relaxing and enjoyable. If only.......something to think about.

This morning as I was enjoying my last cinnamon bun I watched a little bird fly to our back door and perch on the wood frame that holds the glass panes. It sat there for a minute or two until Andy walked out the garage door and it flew away. It was one of those moments were you truly realize how two people can be in almost the exact same location but have completely different experiences. I sat and watched this bird completely immersed in the shape and colour of it's feathers meanwhile Andy probably didn't even see the bird as he walked out the garage door. Every moment of life is truly unique to each person on Earth.

Weighty Issues

Today is more about how I am feeling about myself. I am tired and I am cranky about the extra 10 I have gained since getting married. I just don't like the overtight jeans, you know those damn rolls at your waist and around the bra straps....grrr.

So...I have a goal. I am going to be back at 125 lbs by our wedding anniversay - October 1.
It may be pushing it a little but isn't that what it's all about.

The reward - a trip to the spa. Not sure which one or for what treatment. I'll have the next 2 1/2 months to figure it out as I work on taking it off.

To explore myself for lack of better words I have decided to try this challenge http://selfportraitchallenge.net .

First task is to buy a camera. Then start getting creative.

What's it all about...

Today I thought I should decide what my site should be about. What is worthy of taking up space. I think I have come up with a couple of ideas of what I would like to share. I am sure over time this will vary; however, it is a good place to start.

1. Ponderings - that one interesting thought that came to mind today or a quote that I thought uttered truth and should not be forgotten

2. Experiments in cooking and baking - I love to cook and to bake and to share the recipes I have tried would be a fun documentary. Plus it would be my very own on-line cookbook

3. Pictures of things I have made, done, experienced, etc

4. Knowledge - in a pursuit to learn atleast one new thing a day this would be a great place to document what that new thing was

5. Greatful things - to appreciate what I have and to be aware of the little things in life

The first entry....

I have always felt that having a blog site means that you have something important to say or share with the world. You have accomplished something or perhaps have some insight or expertise to share with others. I didn't and don't feel like I really have any of the above and therefore did not feel like I should be privileged enough to take up space on this thing they call the internet. Why should I use up server space out there somewhere...but, alas, I have chosen to join the masses and have my very own place. Perhaps just to have a place to journalize my doings, share my experiences, my learnings, my trials. Whether it will impact anyone out there I know not but in sharing myself perhaps I open myself to new things and that perhaps is the most important part.

Today I am greatful for mochas and a husband that loves me.