Saturday, April 17, 2010

Clean and Green

Today is a beautiful spring day and me and my boys are heading into downtown Charlotte for the annual Clean and Green Festival and CPCC. This my my Hubby's gig and he has been working hard to plan, set up and do all the little things to help it be a success.
I am looking forward to the organic gardening classes and handouts that will be there along with being able to buy some heirloom veggies, flowers and herbs to add to the gardens. Such great resources and kind people who grow their own food, homestead or make a local product to learn from!!
There are over 100 vendors promoting green products and Local Food awareness there. I am so thrilled that this has come to charlotte and to see so many local farm and homesteads join in to let us know where they are and what they are growing and selling. Honey, plants, beef, chicken, homebaked goods. It's like a local organic farmers market and living green expo all wrapped in one!!
If your in charlotte, some look for me in the gardening section or by the stage listening to my hubby play old time music at 10:00 am!!

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Spring is here!!


It's spring here on the farm and the beauty of the new green grass, Violets, Forsythia and Red buds is breath taking and uplifting. It's hard to concentrate on school when the weather beckons us to come play outside and explore. So- we have taken our books outside to read. I read to the them from our Read-Alouds and the little one gets to play on the play set while the older ones get to listen.
What's on our reading list? We are enjoying Jacks' Insects for our living nature book right now! Its an old book Charlotte Mason used in her schools in the early 1900's that has been brought back into print! Wonderful! For bible study we read from our Faith and Life book and have been reading The Restless Flam by Louis Wohl. A great novel about St. Augustine that all of us are enjoying. Who knew he was such a rascal?!!! For american history I read out of several books. Two are This Country of Ours, by Marshall- and From Sea to Shining Sea. Lastly is Swallows and Amazons for our literature. The boys narrate back outside and we have snacks on blankets and walk in the sunchine for our breaks. Then it's back inside for math and Main Lesson Book work with pictures, wirtten narrations and looking up what ever treasures we have found on our walks.
Today we have daddy home and have farm work to do. Time to get the Garden ready for planting. Get the Chicken house cleaned out and moving all that gold onto the garden along with compost from the compost pile. Lots of physical activity, but what a great day to be outside and enjoy being a family with some preparation for our 3 sisters garden and family garden. We have the privlege of having dear freinds join us in our garden this year. We look forward to sharing the bounty and the handwork with our friends The Stout's. I am looking forward to time in the garden and time with Carla knitting on the front porch and watching the littles play!


All Good Wishes!!


Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Snowy days

This week has been a week full of snow and walks in the woods and cancelled work for daddy and therefore cancelled homeschool lessons at home. Instead we have been enjoying the beauty of the woods filled with fresh fallen snow. Hiking through the farm with each other and pointing out the treasures of a water fall moving through the ice, the places the creek has frozen and where it has not. Sledding down the big hill behind the barn and landing in the creek a few times, then coming in for Hot chocolate. Watching the birds at the bird feeder and seeing all the beautiful colors we have not noticed when the earth is green and brown instead of the pure white back ground of the snow!! We have filled our feeders and fed our chickens, played with the dogs, baked homemade cinnamin rolls and homemade chicken soup, and had a chance to connect leisurly in front of the fire!! Today it is raining and the snow is melting. It's gray outside and cold and not fun to be out in. 3 of us are sick with colds, but we are thankful for the quiet time of winter and the nice cozy fire and good books we can cuddle up with until the sun comes out tomorrow!!!