Fellowship Community Christmas Sale

Last year I posted about the Fellowship Community's annual Christmas Sale and Holiday Fest after the fact, but this year I'm giving you advance warning.  This is always one of my favorite holiday outings, so I'm looking forward to going next weekend.

This adorable little handknit gnome was one of my purchases last year.  Unfortunately, I can't seem to find him anywhere...he might be up to some holiday mischief somewhere in my house.

The Fellowship Community, founded in 1966, is a community of all ages, centered around the care of the elderly. About 150 elderly, children and coworkers live in a rural setting of farm, woods and orchards about 30 miles north-west of New York City. Working and learning together in service to others and in caring for the earth is the central motif of the community life. Those who are interested in a path of self-development in the process of building and maintaining community might find this a place of interest.

See last year's post:
Ten Reasons to Buy Handmade at the Fellowship Community

This Morning I Was Born Again

By Woody Guthrie

This morning I was born again and a light shines on my land.

I no longer look for heaven in your deathly distant land.

I do not want your pearly gates don't want your streets of gold

This morning I was born again and a light shines in my soul.

This morning I was born again, I was born again complete

I stood up above my troubles and I stand on my two feet

My hand it feels unlimited, my body feels like the sky

I feel at home in the universe where yonder planets fly.

This I was born again, my past is dead and gone

This great eternal moment is my great eternal dawn

Each drop of blood within me, each breath of life I breathe

Is united with these mountains and the mountains with the seas.

I feel the sun upon me, it's rays crawl through my skin

I breathe the life of Jesus and old John Henry in.

I give myself, my heart, my soul to give some friend a hand


This morning I was born again, I am in the promised land.

This morning I was born again and a light shines on my land

I no longer look for heaven in your deathly distant land

I do not want your pearly gates, don't want your streets of gold

And I do not want your mansion for my heart is never cold.

You can hear this song sung by Slaid Cleaves by clicking on the button for it in the music box at the bottom of my sidebar.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Feederwatch Counts

Last weekend was our first try at Project Feederwatch.  I've been meaning to post my counts all week, and now that we're doing our second weekend, we're on the verge of falling behind!  Here's what we saw at our feeders last weekend.  The numbers reflect the maximum number of birds seen of that species at any one time.

At the feeders:
Mourning Dove (4)
Nuthatch (2)
Blue Jay (2)
Titmouse (3)
Sparrow (2)
Chickadee (4)

Not at the feeder, but hanging out:
Robin (2)
Hairy Woodpecker (1)


I'm a little concerned about the robins - haven't they usually flown south by now?  My other concern has to do with seeds- the hopper feeders is empty after only one day.  At this rate, my huge bag o'seeds will only last another month or so.  What I'm wondering is if I should keep filling it every day or wait until my feederwatch days.  (The other tube feeder still has seed in it.)  I did write to Cornell to ask them this question but they haven't answered yet.

I'm hoping to post my weekly counts in my sidebar throughout the project.   I'd love to hear from any other feederwatchers - especially if you're nearby!

Canine Blessings

When I was about 7 years old, my best friend Pam and I decided that we wanted to open a veterinary practice together.  We talked about our uniforms and where we'd open our office, and who our clients would be.  (For instance, would we practice on horses and hamsters?  Or just limit it to dogs and cats?)  Then some relative had to go and burst my bubble with the following comment: "Uh....Jenny?  You can't be a veterinarian.  You're allergic to animals!"  

Despite my allergy to dogs, we had one living with us.  Caeser was a black cockapoo who was trained early on never to leave our property.  His job was to keep the squirrels from touching down in our (unfenced) front yard in suburbs of Largo, Florida.  He would sit in the grass by the edge of the curb, looking longingly at the squirrels playing in the yard across the street.  Sometimes he would forget himself and dash over there and begin barking.  Then, when called, he would return to the yard with his tail between his legs.  Back to his special spot under the oak tree.

Miss B. has similar squirrel catching aspirations.  She gets more affection from me than Caeser did, because  I've been loading myself up with antihistamines, leukotrine inhibitors, and inhaled steroids daily so that I can keep her.  To me, it's worth it.   When I hit my mid 40s and realized that we weren't having any more kids, Miss. B. took the sting out of that realization. She's small enough that I can hold her in my arms like a baby, and she'll look deeply and earnestly into my eyes and, mercifully, say nothing. 

Old Age means realizing you will never own all of the dogs you wanted to.
- Joe Gores

Animals are such agreeable friends. They ask no questions; they pass no criticisms.
- George Eliot

All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.

- George Orwell 

 

Grateful that I have you, today and always, Miss. B.

Overwintering Fuchsia: A Summer Romance Gone Bad

It’s a relationship that I just refuse to give up on.  I had a big crush on this plant this summer. I paid, I think, $12 for it at the grocery store. We were happy together. It beckoned me from the shady corner of my deck where nothing else wanted to grow. It hid my mess of pots and tools in the corner, bloomed abundantly, and even created berries that I discovered were edible (though not real tasty).

At the end of the summer it was still green and bushy, so I brought it inside, thinking it might be happy there. I thought we might be able to stick it out together through the winter. 
That’s when the wilting and browning began and I began to lose that lovin’ feeling. I was able to temporarily revive it with a drink of fertilzer, and it even created a few more buds. The buds, however, promptly dropped off and it started losing leaves – and making them. That’s what makes it so hard to trash. There are little green leaves popping out here and there. It’s defintely not dead.

So I did some research and it seems you can overwinter fuchsia by bringing it inside before frost. You can keep it in a dark garage or shed (which is where I’ll be moving it soon). The stems should be cut back to about 6” in length, and it should be given just enough water to prevent it from drying out. When the buds appear, cut back to about 2” and begin hardening off. They can return outdoors after the last frost.

So, can this fuchsia be saved? Is it worth keeping this hideous looking plant all winter just to save $12 next spring? And are you overwintering anything ugly?

Pogo Girlz on Ripsticks

Some readers may remember my niece from Brooklyn, Pogo Girl from a previous post.  Pogo Girl will be on the David Letterman show tonight!  Check it out at 11:30 pm EST!   Here's a new video from Pogo Girl and her sisters:



Also of interest:
http://nyackbackyard.blogspot.com/2008/10/fiddler-on-pogo-stick.html
http://nyackbackyard.blogspot.com/2009/02/when-dads-pogo.html

The Joy of Chickens!

A guest post from my friend the Lazy Mom..........

The Husband often says: NO MORE ANIMALS! Usually whenever a stray cat, or a fox, or a herd of deer wander into our yard and the child and I turn to him with the “can we keep him?” eyes.

But the child and I thought why not a few chickens? Chickens are cute and fluffy AND they lay eggs—so what’s not to love? Plus…he was the one who wanted to live out here in the boondocks…might as well get some livestock.

My husband and I had numerous “discussions” about getting chickens. They started when I first saw the Eglu coop on-line at some design site and I decided that I HAD TO HAVE IT—which is odd since I am not really like that—except when it came to my husband and my vintage Saab…. I am actually rather Zen about acquiring people/animals/objects. So although the “negotiations” were still on-going like some UN Treaty that is thirty years in the making--I went ahead and ordered the Eglu Chicken Coop like some rouge country buying weapons of mass destruction from Germany.

The coop was just SO COOL and I knew The Husband would eventually come around because he is a designer and loves this cool stuff.

The Coop arrived and, I as anticipated, he LOVED the design.

Two weeks later, in one rather small box, Alice and Gertrude arrived. It was love at first sight. They were included with the complete backyard chicken coop. They were a little shy at first, but they warmed up. On the weekend I would go outside in the morning with my coffee and let the chickens out to wander around the yard—they would follow me through the garden. The cats did not know what to think, but after sizing them up—they decided to live and let live.

The chickens have proved to be an endless joy---visually they are like some prehistoric creatures foraging around our yard—scratching the dirt for a worm or hopping across the yard in a vain attempt at a butterfly meal. Emotionally—they are like curious cats who like to be close to you, but not too close. They love to beg for food when we eat outside and The Child has even taught them tricks.

And the eggs. There are few things more satisfying than going to the coop and picking up the two eggs EVERY morning. The girls are such good producers…all through their first winter they produced eggs and they are still wonderful layers.

We added two more birds to our mix(Frieda and Kahlo) and found another Eglu—purely by accident, on-line, that was used and cheap when my friend sent me this cool video about Susan Orleans andd her chicken obsession….we now have a little development of cool chicken coops. The two new birds are suppose to lay green eggs, but we will probably not see any until the Spring.

The care and feeding of the chickens is, of course, easy. I am not one for major chores. With the Eglu—you just slide the poop tray out the bottom and dump it in your compost pile. The feeders and waters you just refill daily and clean occasionally. I buy one of those squares of straw and big 50lb bag of food and we are good for 3-4 months for about $20. Of course, we feed them treats—leftover salad, pasta, oatmeal, couscous….

The whole coop is made out of that “Little Tykes” type plastic so you know it is going to last forever. To clean thoroughly —just spray the whole thing down with a hose. Simple.

It is my belief that everyone should have backyard chickens—they are good for the environment, your health and your soul. Don’t let a reluctant spouse stop you from getting chickens. Chickens are very addictive and once you bring them home, it will be love all around.

--Lazy Mom

http://lazymomcafe.blogspot.com/
http://mommingtonpost.blogspot.com/

Marketing, Monetizing and Mr. Clean

The Lazy Mom, who writes about parenting in a way nobody else can (or should), has a new blog The Mommington Post, her "opinion on Mom blogs, parenting, surviving the suburbs and other random rants." This week she put up my guest post about why I'm not monetizing.   Do you have ads on your blog? or conduct product reviews?  Do you like blogs that do?  Why or why not?  Lazy Mom wants to know.  (And while you're over there, please remind her that she is supposed to do a guest post about chickens for me.  We're waiting, Lazy!)

The Color of Earth

“Manhwa” is the Korean version of manga, and Kim Dong Hwa is a master of the form. A translation of his successful graphic novel “The Color of Earth” was released this year. It’s done in the style of shunjung, which is geared toward young female readers, but this one has been popular with adults of both genders as well. I was a little shocked to learn that Kim Dong Hwa is male. The story is so sensitively and gracefully told from the female point of view.

It tells the story of Ehwa, a young girl who lives with her widowed mother in a village in Korea. They are extraordinarily close, and attentive and intuitive to one another’s needs and feelings.

In an April interview on Newsarama with Michael Lora, the artist says

“I consider the process of a girl becoming a woman one of the biggest mysteries and wonders of life. And one day when my mother was sleeping in her sickbed, I looked down at her wrinkled face and suddenly realized that she must had been young and beautiful once. Then I started imagining her childhood and youth. What would she have looked like in her 60s, 50s, 40s and etc.? These thoughts inspired me to put my hand to the plow. Ehwa is the result of tracing back my mother’s youth.”

As Ehwa matures and begins to notice the young men in her village, her mother is courted by a wandering pictograph artist. The two fall in love simultaneously, and very differently.

The story unfolds with the help of charming and amusing folklore and metaphors that evoke the natural world. Outstanding line drawings show gorgeous details. It didn’t surprise me at all to learn that Kim Dong is a gardener:

I’m very fond of flowers. My back and front yard are full of flowers. I plant, water, and take care of them whenever I have free time. And I also give each of them a special meaning reflecting my former experiences. The flower and the meaning combine into one united entity, becoming inseparable. When a concept flashes through my mind, I have to find a flower that is related to the concept.

This book was a true visual and emotional escape. Luckily, there are sequels.

Project Feeder Watch Prep

There's still time to sign up for Project Feederwatch.  It begins on November 14 and runs til April 9. On two consecutive days that you select each week, you set aside as much time as you can to count birds at your feeders, tally your observations and enter your data on the Cornell Ornithology Lab website- meaning you (and your kids) can be part of a real ongoing scientific study. The data collected helps the scientists figure out population counts and determine which species are being affected by various environmental factors.  (Do you think a poodle is considered an environmental factor?) 

It costs $15 to sign up -- this is our first year participating.

Even if you don't participate in Feederwatch, this is still a good time to hang out your feeders and see who comes to visit.  It's fall migration time, and you may be surprised at who's passing through.  (Birds flying over your property, however, are not eligible to be counted for this project!)

Feeders - You might want to hang a couple of different kinds of feeders in your yard.  Tube feeders, like this one hanging right outside our front picture window, exclude squirrels and some larger birds.  Juncos, titmice and sparrows love these.

This is a house or "hopper" feeder -  it's popular with the blue jays and cardinals, but it does tend to leave a mess on the ground underneath.  Nothing goes to waste, though.

Feed - different kinds of seeds attract different birds.  For example:

Black-oil sunflower – cardinals, chickadees, finches, sparrows and woodpeckers.

Striped sunflower – larger billed birds

Nyjer (thistle) goldfinch, pine siskin, common redpoll

Safflower – cardinals and big-billed birds

Corn – wild turkeys, ducks, doves, quail and sparrow

Millet – juncos and sparrows

Milo – a reddish grain that's not a favorite of eastern birds. Avoid mixes with a large percentage of this grain

Suet - suet is a bird feed made from rendered animal fats (like calves and sheep).  Fresh suet is a real treat for birds and may even attract some larger species, like hawks, as well as woodpeckers.

A big bag of  mixed seeds should last through the winter.  I'm putting the bag in a bin in the garage  and cutting a large opening in the top.  I stick the feeders in the bag to fill them - this is the best way to prevent seed spillage.  Be sure to close the bag tightly after filling so that the seed stays fresh and you don't attract rodents or wayward basketballs.  (A word of advice: don't try to take a shortcut and walk through the house to the backyard with your full feeders, because it will spill. Take the longer path around the house!)

Water -  Always put out water for your birds.  The water in a pretty ceramic dish now, but when it starts to freeze, I'll switch to something metal, like this old roasting pan. When I notice the water is frozen over, I just bring it inside and replace it with another dish.  There are also things you can buy at Gardners Supply Company to keep your water from freezing.  Water containers should be cleaned and sanitized once a week.

Cover - Birds like grassy areas edged with trees and shrubs.  A brush pile (or fort!) can also provide protection.  Evergreens, especially the kind with cones or berries, are favorite spots for overwintering birds.

You can dowload these color posters and hang them next to your window to help you identify the different types of birds.

Most common around here seem to be titmouse, chickadee, nuthatch, dove, blue jay and cardinal.  Keep a pair of binoculars near your window so they're handy when you need to see close-up.

There are lots more tips and info available on the Project Feederwatch Website.

Kids are usually expert bird counters. What birds are visiting you these days?