Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Farm Report, Not by Les Nessman

Farm day was a scorcher. 

So, imagine how glad we were when we were assigned "just the pack, ma'am, just the pack."

The farmer and interns were sitting around the packing area, looking at a pile of kohlrabi when we arrived. At 1:30 they all looked like they had used up one of their nine lives. Have I mentioned that the farmer is in her early 60's? Important note. They had been working since 8:30. The temperature was low 90's and there was some pre-hoped-for-rain-humidity in the air. They'd killed beetles and removed damaged leaves. They'd picked, they'd weeded. The farmer made an organic veggie lunch for them and they'd just recharged.

We exchanged niceties and the details of the pack and the washing and box wrangling commenced.  The farmer grabbed her hat and gloves and the twenty-something interns sighed, stood up and grabbed theirs. "Off to pick more kohlrabi." The farmer chirped on her way out. 

An hour later the door opened letting in the blazing sun and bringing women bearing armloads of octopus like veggies. They dumped them, soaked up a little cool air in the cold room, came out into our area wiping their faces on their arms. 

"Ready girls?" The farmer said. In her hand rested two packets of seeds. "It's going to rain tomorrow. I want to get these seeds in." 

The interns followed. I may have seen one mouth "Help Me!" over her shoulder as she exited the protected cocoon. 

This was a long pack. We didn't get home til after 7:00. We packed the last bits of broccoli and early harvest of beans, the last of the snap peas, lettuce, kale, chard, beets, garlic, a kohlrabi or turnip, and some cabbage found it's way into a few boxes. Oh, rhubarb, can't forget that little addition. As I've sung the praises of volunteers benefiting from the less-than-perfect produce extras I took the discarded ends and not so beautiful chunks, and so far I've gotten 8 cups of chopped fruit and I expect to get another pie's worth out of the rest. Three pies for a little elbow grease...Hmmm I think that's a deal. But, as per usual, I digress.

Our box was full. And we worked hard. But we didn't do diddly compared to the farmer and her interns. They came back two more times for seeds. If it was going to rain, by golly, those seeds were going into the ground. They'd gulp water or green tea and scarfed their snacks.  Each time I saw them, they seemed a little more wilted. But not the farmer.

I've mentioned the nibbling that goes on in the garden? The farmer grazes, and we follow her example. I can't back this claim,but I'm pretty sure organic vegetables are super juice and that doing what you love is 220 voltage energy. Gotta be. Because if she didn't love this, the farmer would be insane. 

And the farmer got her beautiful rain. And we will all benefit from her diligent work in a few short weeks. And it's awesome to see tough Iowa stock in action. When I'm 60 I want to make 20-somethings sweat and grow weak in the knees, too. Gotta eat more organic veggies.  

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ No, Mom, You Can't Take Any Pictures of Them Today...

I want to write about bunnies. I want to GUSH about bunnies. But & (which is my daughter's code name, should you wonder why my sentences contain weird &s) wouldn't let me take pictures of them. Their mama was being cuddled by & and their papa was munching grass and dandelions under watchful eyes. So the babies were allowed on my lap (in their box) so they could be near mama. 

You know how everything babies do is cute and fascinating? Well, that is true of bunnies. They are really spastic like newborn foals, completely unaware of how to use appendages. But while watching them Monday night I realized that their spastic movements have to be to work out those powerful little back legs so they can use them for hopping soon. 

Last night, one of them scratched it's little head with it's back foot. So cute. And another one stretched it's little pink paws out in a full body stretch. I wanted to cry because it was just precious. Here's a little video I shot Monday night. They are only squirming so it's not much to write home about. But. Really, does extreme sweetness need action and glitz?

Tomorrow I'll give you a farm update. No bunnies. I promise. Unless they do something really cute.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Lions and Tigers...No...Dog and Cats and Bunnies...Oh My.

I mentioned we had a productive weekend. 

Let's say that was an understatement. The terrific enamelware deal was mightily eclipsed by an event that took place on Saturday Evening.

& was out with a friend. She arrived home at 11:00 p.m. Rob was reading and I had already entered into the sleep of those who trod over hill and dale, through crowds and rain, and bag a sweet bargain. 

Suddenly, the door flew open and words flew out of our panicked daughter's mouth. My sleep fog and her panic didn't help me to understand what was said. The urgency of her tone did. I stood up and she repeated what she'd already blurted. The phrases were disjointed and confusing. "Lizzie! Sweet Potatoes! Babies!!!!!!! All over everywhere!" 

We all rushed downstairs and out into the yard. Me in my jammies, Rob in his man shorts. What she had been trying to help us understand was that Lizzie had delivered babies. And those babies appeared, at first, to be sweet potatoes. & was wondering why there were sweet potatoes in the cage when she realized that the potatoes were baby bunnies. And those bunnies had no nest.

Elizabeth Bennett Bunny and Mr. Darcy had apparently married at some point. Because, Mrs. Elizabeth Bennett Darcy had been in the family way when they joined our family. I certainly don't want to accuse Mr. Darcy of being just like that scoundrel Mr. Wickham, (again) so I will choose to believe the best about them. 

Night they were born. See the speckled back pattern like Mama and Papa?

Anyhoo. I digress, don't I?

Elizabeth Bennett Bunny and Mr. Darcy are the proud parents of three little bundles of squirming pink flesh with flecks of black. 

Top bunny, check out his back feet!!!!

Would you like to see them? 

Of course you would. 

Look very closely, there are teeny teeth!!!!!!!

Why you so cute?  (less than 48 hours after birth.)

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Saturday Score in Antique City

 So I had a pretty full and productive weekend. 

Saturday found & and me joining my folks in Antique City, Iowa. (Also known as Walnut).

Yay. How cute is this little bargain?

The city houses vendors from all over sprawled out on the main and secondary streets, over 300 booths I think. (One guy from Texas had quite the set up...I can't imagine taking glassware across the country, packing, unpacking and repacking - UGH). To sell antiques you have to love, love, love what you're doing, I can't imagine there's a whole lot of money in it. 

Speaking of money. I was restrained but successful. I think I got a sweet bargain. I love enamelware. And I've been eying one guy's booth every year waiting for his prices to drop. He's got big flour bins and bread boxes. They are beat up, as almost every enameled thing I've ever seen is, but they are so cool.

I was disappointed at his booth. Each of his items was $85 to $115. I just couldn't justify those price. So I went away telling myself that I might find something perfect someday.

Small town Iowa.

A table way down the road had a bunch of miscellaneous items. On the ground, under the table I saw an enamelware turkey roaster. It said savory in bumpy letters on the sides of the pot and had it's lid. Cream colored with green edging and handles. Perfect. Big enough to use as a bread box (or for a party sized bunch of garlic bread, chips, popcorn, endless possibilities). I saw the price tag. $20.00. No way. I guessed there had to be a big hole in the bottom of the roaster and lifted the lid.

Perfect. That's right. And she took $15.00 for it, too. Yes! 

My dad scored a great deal on a stained glass window. And we all got quirky cool little tidbits of fun, too. Rain hit hard a few hours in. (Another ugh for the poor vendors.) But was short-lived. None of us melted. 

"Look what Mommy got for you, Honey." "NO! Mommy, NO!"

I love the quaint little house with the yard full of hollyhocks. It doesn't get more small town Iowa than this. Ya know. 

And. This doll. Oh my. I just had to take a picture. I can't imagine anyone being on the lookout for an eyeless, soulless doll. But if they were, well, it was there for the picking. (pun intended, not funny, sick and twisted, but intended indeed.) Shudder. This is a nightmare maker. What a gift it would make. Or it would even beat the horse head in the bed, ya know? 

Serials and Scenarios ~ Treasures of Healthy Living

 

Treasures of Healthy Living

Did you know you can find the answers to many health problems in the pages of Scripture? Think of God's Word as a treasure map that leads straight to the healthy life you've always dreamed of. It reveals how you can move from a sick, lackluster life to one that is full of energy and hope. This practical Bible study will reveal the truth about the foods you eat and provide simple tools to begin improving your physical, emotional, and spiritual health. You won't believe how much your life can change when you grab hold of the treasures God has provided for you.

In this book, you will:

 - Discover the basics of nutrition to build a firm foundation for your health

 - Obtain the tools you need to evaluate and improve your health

 - Examine the harmful effects of altered food and household products

 - Find healthy alternatives to unwholesome foods

 - Learn how diet, exercise, and your spiritual life go hand-in-hand

 - Lay the groundwork for a lifetime of positive health

There are dramatic health benefits when we eat the food God provides for us instead of the processed packaged food man provides. Since changing their diet in 2003, Annette and her husband have come off of all their prescriptions, lowered triglycerides from over 900 to 140, lowered cholesterol from 300 to 160, and lowered their blood pressure to normal.

About the Authors Annette Reeder, a Biblical Nutrition Consultant, is leading people all around the country on an adventure with the power of food to change lives one meal and prayer at a time. Annette is a graduate of Liberty University and Huntington College Health Sciences and the founder of Designed Healthy Living a nutrition consulting ministry. Dr. Richard "Dick" Couey is Professor Emeritus of Health Sciences at Baylor University. Dr. Couey has spent nearly fifty years studying the physiology of the cell. He has especially studied how nutrition, exercise, and stress affect the cell's biochemistry and physiology. Dr. Couey's students praise how Dr. Couey can make the complexities of the cell seem understandable.

My Thoughts: I'll be checking this one out very soon. As all my regular readers know, I'm sold about whole foods and am a big fan of veggies, veggies. Since we went organic five years ago and Vegan/Whole Food Plant Based a year ago we've seen great results healthwise. 

I'll post my review once I get a chance to get through the book.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Sweet Whispering Skills...

We've had a few bunny visitors this past week. Who knew white bundles of polka-dotted cuteness would be such a crowd pleaser.

Miss K, proved to be a bunny whisperer. 
Elizabeth Bennett Bunny was a real fan of her massage skills. They bonded like this for about ten minutes. Pretty cute.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Well, Mr. Darcy, I Nevah...

Farm day was perfect. 78 degrees, sun, breeze and lots of help. 

Toad Boy was at our house building a bunnie palace and & and I got to the farm a bit later than usual. All the lettuce was done. I can't tell you how nice that was. I've been the chief lettuce washer for the past couple of weeks and that is a job that is tedious. 

We have two interns who are now helping. One has been with us for a couple of weeks and she brought a friend along. They are both in the horticulture program at a local community college. And they seem to love what they are learning and doing. 

More hands makes quicker work and for fun conversations. We ended up getting home in record time. Toad Boy was still hard at work on the palace. We had our delicious Kale and sesame/onion/rice vinegar warm salad and a farm fresh lettuce salad. 

A good day was had by all. Except a few deceased-by-force worms. (Oh, and Elizabeth Bennett Bunny was violated a bit. Seems Mr. Darcy's cuteness fooled & into thinking he'd be a gentleman if she removed the divider between them. Uh. Not so much. He was no gentleman. I even suggested that she change his name to Mr. Wickham. We will cut a hole and add a mesh so they can communicate. I'm pretty sure Elizabeth Bennett Bunny prefers her communication to be longing glances and nose rubs verses the reception she received upon her last visit with Mr. Darcy.)