Yeah, gets hectic around here sometimes and while yoga and meditation just left me feeling like I wanted to meditate my way into the a warm bath with a cold glass of Pinot Gris every couple of hours, I did find that writing down some of our stories could be a more productive way to relieve the pressure. And some day me and the kids will get to look back on these stories and have a good old fashioned laugh about them.
check it out at: http://vanessajackydavis.wordpress.com/
Attention crafty DIYer’s. I was introduced to this cool website by LA mom, Natalie Pirveysian. Her blog showcases awesome projects you can do with household items. Love it! It’s the new recycling.
Dandelion seeds (achenes) can be carried long distances by the wind. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Seeds are everywhere,
flying by us, drifting on the side of the road, feeding wildlife, drying and
burying themselves again. And I am still struck with wonder at the power in those dormant little stones. They are a generous reminder of the continuity of life, and hope even when it’s dormant. They are one of the best things in life, and indeed they can be free. I am reminded of that each year when volunteer tomatoes, arugula, basil, strawberries surprise me without warning and produce a decent fruit.
So this year I purchased only seeds which were not genetically modified, for various reasons but mostly because GMO seeds often don’t produce in the next life. I always think there must be some paranoid farmers messing with our produce to insure that we won’t take that big watermelon home and make baby watermelons. But perhaps not so paranoid after all, that’s just what I’d do, being the penny pinching watermelon-poor person that I am. So my non GMO mostly heirloom seeds have succeeded nicely, and I have the opportunity to harvest the seeds for us and for seed bombs, and to exchange with with neighbors. So if you’re also interested, here is some information and links below to get you started.
So seeds….
.
For the most part I’m fairly lazy, and just prefer to cut when dry, place in a freezer bag and refrigerate till needed. In fact I did that yesterday driving past a gathering of brown dry Queen Anne’s Lace. And over there, those are my Nicholas sunflowers which I dry out and toss in a bag till next Spring. But a little research for those plants you LOVE is worth the effort. And of course it’s always good to consider the environment your planting where you’re planting. They could become unwelcomed neighbors. (see Potato Famine again).
A couple great places to start are:
The international Seed Saving Institute: http://www.seedsave.org/issi/issi_904.html
You Grow Girl: http://www.yougrowgirl.com/2002/10/04/harvesting-seeds/
But my super fav where I started, and it’s also where I purchased my first heirloom Non GMO seeds: http://www.seedsavers.org/
Or like me, if you’re interested in first looking through some seed catalogs to begin your wish collection, you’d enjoy this website which allowed me to order 20 (but up to 60) seed catalogs which are packed full of lot’s of extra information about planting, growing, and harvesting. (I keep my catalogs for years since their like little botanical encylopedias). It’s a wonderful way to spend a cold winter weekend planning for the Spring! But keep in mind not all of those offered are heirloom or GMO free. Choose what’s best for you.
http://freebies.about.com/od/homegardenfreebies/tp/seed-catalogs.htm
And if you get hooked, you’ll find that there are seed exchanges. It just altogether a wonderful cycle of things.
So I wish you the best in the harvest and cultivation of your biological jewels. Have fun, and please let me know what you learn…..
Seeds of Time (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I remember the first time I harvested seeds. It was when I was living in my Aunt Rachel’s house in Portland, Oregon. She had the most wonderful Hollyhocks reaching over my head with lovely pink and red flowers cascading down. I loved them, because they were hers, and because she’d harvested them from my grandmothers garden. So when the stalks had dried I cut the little seed cups and put them in a plastic bag. Later that year they followed me back to Arkansas where I planted them in my own garden. The following Spring I was delighted to find them growing up from my patch of rusty brown earth. They grew taller than me. And the seeds spread all over the yard growing and overshadowing the tomatoes and the corn and eventually drooping over the fish pond. They grew everywhere the lawn mower didn’t navigate till a several years later I dug them all up and threw them away. Despite how sad that sounds, resilient nature took over and they continued to come back. Those marvelous old heirloom seeds overcame me. So I cut them back, learned about soil maintenance and accepted their challenge. They are here with us now growing and blooming as you read this blog. I’ve collected their vital seeds to send to my sister back in Portland with what I’ve learned about them. And I’ve collected other seeds too, the Valentine Sunflowers, Bachelor Buttons, Brown Eyed Susans, Peaches and Cream Corn, Sugar Snap Peas–jewels of life and abundance. Seeds are beads of abundance and change and continuity, and the penny pincher that I am, they are gifts free to anyone who collects them.
For more information about seed harvesting, including GMO’s , responsible planting, and how-to’s, please check out the next blog and this excellent website, Seed Save : http://www.seedsave.org/issi/issi_904.html
As always, let me know your story!
OK practical penny pinching parents and grandparents, looking for a way to trot through the dog days of summer with your kids? Well when we see the first fireflies they always remind us of the fairies and so this year we decided to build a fairy house, or teepee in this case. We kept it simple, but they can be as elaborate as your imagination care to go.
Now fairies, or faeries you might say, don’t need much, but I’ve read they do prefer protection from the elements, a nice bed, a little water, and perhaps a flower or two. I find that children of all ages are more in tuned to fairy needs that I am, so they of course are the primary consultants.
Here are the materials we used, found in and around our house, as I’m sure you’ll find similar in yours.
So, pull together several sticks, teepee style and bind at the top with your chosen cord. Open the base of the bound sticks up and push into the dirt. These can also be made indoors or in a flower pot, since fairies also live in large cities. (-: Then you or the children can cut the sleeves off the T Shirt and cut a line up the middle for the door. I cut out an upside down V shape so the door would remain open.
Now that your structure is built you can decorate with flowers and greenery, or jewelry and things that shine to get the attention of the little creatures. Children have good intuition for these types of things. My small daughter asked me to make a blanket and pillow out of the shirt and she found a leaf for a bed. Then she made a small book for the fairy to read. And my son collected small rocks for a path and found wires in case we wanted to wire it up for electricity. Afterward my daughter brought her own small dolls to explore it.
Elsie Wright with a fairy (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I love this project so much for many reasons. For one, it was what I liked to do as a child. It makes a child consider what’s important to them for comfort. It’s more diverse than just blocks; it seems and looks real. It takes problem solving skills and patience and creativity. Also it can take a half hour to set up, or it can be the beginning to a long term project. It’s like a self made story unfolding and really holds my children’s attention for a long time. And it’s a great way for an adult to enter a childs world on their terms.
I’d love to hear about your Fairy Homes! Please let us know.
Read the Blog below to find out all about this lamp and the luxury you’ll find hunting through your Goodwill store.
Edgar J. Helms a Methodist Minister and social innovator in Boston, Mass opened the first Goodwill in 1902. What a brilliant man he was. He invented my favorite kind of tool, a thing which has a complete cycle and serves everyone. From donation, to creating labor, to selling donation to fund the operation, to pay for labor, who generate donations, it’s a perfect revolution.
Wikipedia cites” In this pledge, Goodwill promises to fulfill the goals of success within each individual:
“We at Goodwill Industries will be satisfied only when every person in the global community has the opportunity to achieve his/her fullest potential as an individual and to participate and contribute fully in all aspects of a productive life.”
But all that History aside, we get to have fun with all the creative benefits, a store full of potentially fun things to recycle and use. A found objects paradise! And if your creative idea turns out to be uglier that Aunt Ra-Ra’s macrame plant hanger, then your not strapped for cash on your next project.
So here’s my latest Goodwill Goodfun, for my daughter who is needing a lamp in her bedroom:
One $ 2.00 Lamp Base + One $ 2.00 Dented Ivory Lamp Shade
and note this simple white lamp base with a clean classical shape would be beautiful in any decor, not just on goofy lamps. When shopping, don’t overlook simple designs.
PLUS, 2 bags of 50 cent colored puff balls, (and I had the glue gun, they run about 5.00, new. I’d avoid buying them used…..)
TAH-DAH!
Here’s how it looks all it up! She loved it, and it cost 5 bucks. Yeah! Now we can afford that. It’s not a style for everyone, but if your starving to do something creative, go peruse through your local Goodwill and see what magic you can find….
(WARNING: You already know this, but if you should try this at home please use low wattage bulbs and large shades for safety)
STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT INSTALLMENT OF GOODWILL GOODFUN
Understanding Problem Behavior Prior to its Treatment
~ Delivering the good life one slim penny at a time ~
The Artful Penny 