SOMETHING SPECIAL.
When Further was born, we really didn’t have to buy much of anything. First of all, cosleeping, breastfeeding, cloth diapering and babywearing cut out a lot of the big-ticket items all new parents “need.” But mostly, we were very blessed – the beneficiaries of many wonderful hand-me-downs and gracious gifts. When it came to clothes, the few things we personally bought were from secondhand shops or Goodwill. This, I feel, was reasonable. There is little sense in dressing a newborn – essentially a tiny pooping, peeing, vomiting, drooling machine - in organical white lace onsies all the time.On the other hand, I did spend a chunk of change on yarn – beautiful yarn that I used to make our baby hats, sweaters, mittens, pants and stuffed toys. This is because these things will last and become precious heirlooms that we can use for any hypothetical future children and perhaps grandchildren one day. These things are worth saving. And that is how I feel about Further’s new clothes from Red Creek Handmade. Further was picked to be a brand representative, and we feel like it is a perfect fit. Kate makes all of her clothes with organic, naturally dyed linen – and these clothes are meant to get dirty. They are meant to be worn by tough kids. They are meant to last, to be well-loved, to be passed on to the next generation. And because of this, they cost a little more than a Goodwill onesie.Supporting makers, artisans and crafters who are doing good work is a goal of ours. It is always a balance, of course. We are dirty, hard working folks who can tear through a pair of jeans or boots in a month. We need a wardrobe of grundgy work clothes, just like Further needs a number of dirty, poop stained Carter’s outfits he can ruin. But we also are trying to invest in a few future heirlooms, some well made, quality products. – from people like Kate at Red Creek, from websites like Etsy, and from craft vendors at our farmers market. The hard truth is, if we are promoters of local, organic food, we should also try to support this same standard in the other things we “consume,” even if it means spending a little more.- Hannah.
CLEARING.
In order to build a cabin, or really to walk onto our land, Hannah and I had to clear a great deal of honeysuckle and rosebush, saplings and briars. Most of this activity, however, took place in the fall when much of the life was dormant, hidden from sight or on vacation. Now however, as the clearing continues, we've become INTIMATELY aware of the life—of the ecosystem within which we are working. Our bodies are blistered with poison ivy. Our hands are constantly lifting our shirts and waste bands in search of ticks (all too successfully). We uncover nests and holes, scare up snakes, poke toads and flush out rabbits. And there is something both tragic and wonderful about this element of "reclaiming" the land. We have no choice but to be sensitive to the environment during our work (it bites back), and it feels a lot more gentle to go about it this way—by hand—than with the giant machinery our poor skin wishes we were using. And in the end, we feel the land will be grateful, fruitful and full of life, just the way we like it. We'll hire some fowl to control the ticks, and hopefully some small livestock —a milk goat perhaps— to help remedy our poison ivy problem. The last thing we want to do is remove the life. And by working slowly, utilizing life to create a tolerable balance, we believe we won't just preserve the life at was there, but hopefully grow it a bit.
- Jesse.
OUR NEW FROE.
So the new tool we mentioned yesterday is called a FROE. It is used for splitting wood into shingles. Since we are clearing tons of cedar trees from around the cabin area, we've decided to use the wood as siding - making it into traditional cedar shakes.It is a somewhat daunting project, but one we are excited about. Here is an amazing video of the process - looks fun, right?Whew. I foresee a lot of splitting in our future. Maybe it's time for our first Rough Draft Work Party? Eh? Anybody?- Hannah.
SCENES FROM A MESSY KITCHEN.
ALL CURRENTLY HAPPENING IN THE KITCHEN: five pounds of pork fat being rendered into lard, two heads of red cabbage sliced and soaking for kraut, dough being rolled out for pasta/spilled on the floor. When you are living on a farm and food is your life, this is how it is pretty much all the time. Lots of cooking, lots of fermenting, lots of cleaning only to be replaced by lots more mess. And isn't that how it should be?- Hannah.
