My Life
Why my woodpile is a mess…
Oct 15th
These are the two “Silly Boyz” that I am learning to love and to trust. As someone who is generally scared of 1100 pound willful animals, I have developed a deep affection for these humongous puppy-like troublemakers.
Into The Wild
Jul 10th
In the hopes of encouraging my children to appreciate the privileged life that they lead with running water, an accessible fridge, comfy mattresses and a roof over their head, I took them tent camping. Now I have not been camping since I was a teenager and it has been for a variety of reasons: mostly that I like to have access to my own washroom and a full kitchen to cook in appeals to me. But I thought, for 5 days I can do this! I can teach my children about nature and the natural elements so that they appreciate all that is around them outside, and how much they truly have at home.
So we set off with our newly purchased tent, cook stove and natural lemon oil bug repellent. Once we got to the camp site, late, I then realized why people set up camp early on in the day. I also realized why everyone had advised me to “try the tent out at home” before embarking upon our excursion. After more than a few a few “ughs” of frustration, and a few hours later, my sister and I somehow managed to get the camp set up just before the sun went down. It took a LOT longer than I had originally thought. But that night while sitting around the campfire it all seemed worth it.
With 5 days of sun, hikes in the forest, campfires at night, and three incredible experiences with two does and a young buck within ten feet of us, we headed back for home feeling like our interplay with nature was a huge success. I stopped along the way at a restaurant where someone else cooked, and better yet, someone else cleaned up. We all agreed we’d go home, unpack, all have a good soak and get to bed early.
Upon returning to our farm, my husband’s car was no where in sight so we drove to the back pastures. He was finishing up bailing the hay in the mid field. We said our warm hellos at which point he told us he had lost his cell phone somewhere in the front pasture. I offered to go and look for it and walk the field with my 6 year old son. We then drove up to the front pasture while my hub remained behind and our son and I walked the front pasture while my sister and 4 year old daughter walked around the car to stretch their legs.
Not more than 5 minutes later I hear my husband start up his tractor and screamed my name. I quickly surveyed the landscape trying to figure out what he was warning me of when I spotted IT. A mangy looking coyote was running at full speed heading straight for our son. I screamed “get in the car, run to the car” and ran as fast as my feet could carry me, I ran to intervene between me and my son. I kept yelling “run, run, run to the car”. My son luckily didn’t question and all ran as fast as we could back to the car. Once all in I looked behind and the animal has veered off towards the barn. Fearing that it was now going to attack the horses, I drove the car towards it, horn honking to warn the horses. By this time my husband had driven the ATV up beside my car and was waiving me away, the animal then jumped in front of his ATV and stopped dead in its tracks. It then rolled onto its back.
“It’s a dog”, my husband yelled. He got out of the ATV and walked towards the animal and leaned over it. The dog licked his face and kicked his legs up in the air like a silly puppy. My heart finally stopped pounding. I said a “thank you” silently to my Mom who is somewhere in the heavens. What a scare. What a relief. What a drama.
We took the dog back to the farm house and quickly decided that it had been from a home, had once had a collar, and wasn’t well trained. It also tried to attack the horses so we quickly put it on a leash where it seemed quite comfortable. After calling a few animal shelters, we decided on one that seemed very well versed in strays and took her in. She made it there in one piece (after one successful car escape). Apparently the dog is a Blue Australian Cattle Dog and is a very smart and highly active breed that requires consistent training and discipline: one thing our family is not known for. So we said goodbye to “Dingo” and were assured by the animal services that she would be a prize adoption.
So after our tent trip to the wild we had only to look in our own backyard. That night, the kids appreciated their comfy beds and I had a very heightened appreciation for our lovely little beings that were safe and sound.
Farm Life – A Social Life
May 25th
I used to go to fine art auctions that included a subsection on vintage clothing and jewelry. In fact, my wedding ring was bought at such an exclusive event. With a huge glossy print catalogue outlining all such exquisite buys to be had, the day of auction became a “seen and be scene” event. With an air of judgment for all who greeted you, you registered with an auction number and hoped for the best. Feeling like you had no right to be there, due to the passive aggressive response that the crowd had, the bidding became a psychological mind trap.
One bidding game in particular turned ugly. I had my eye set on a vintage Gucci 1970′s dress that I had luckily had the privilege of previously viewing as my friend was the coordinator for the vintage jewels and clothing for a primo auction house. I knew it fit, I knew it was gorgeous, and I knew I had to have it. After the bidding started I also knew it was going to be a bad scene. The alter-bidder was angry and obnoxious, throwing her bidding paddle aggressively in the air and scowling at me as if I had done her personally wrong. Not to be deterred, I ended up spending 400% more than I had anticipated just to ensure that such a witch was “put in her place”.
Who got put in their place? I did. I stupidly spent more than I wanted to, or could afford, due to a weak ego.
Fast forward to today. At the most recent farm equipment auction, the people were so calm. Willing to provide help and assistance in advising what the best equipment was and how to use it, there was a comraderee that I have never before been witnessed at any auction. The communal response was witnessed from the onset as we pulled into the massive paddock vying to get a parking spot. Full of baseball caps and pick up trucks, people waited patiently while the one way lane in and out of the parking paddock had to control the comings and goings of all.
Once there, the people bidding were calm, cool, collected and connected. What a treat. In the end, we bought a silo for seed storage (see pics) and are happy for the amazing deal to be had. A big thanks to all of the old and new farmers who helped us figure out what to do and what equipment to do it with.
PS: my 70′s collectible Gucci dress still hangs in my closet but has been lonely for some time.
Prepping the Fields – an Homage to Farmers Everywhere
May 25th
When we bought our 100 acre farm we realized that it would be a lot of work to plant and harvest. We had been warned. We knew that it would not be easy. We have never been adverse to working hard and have always welcomed new challenges. But, did we ever learn FAST about the difficulties of farming!
First of all, timing is everything. Knowing when to churn the fields (“cultivating” in farm world speak, “prepping” in my food world speak) is key. This sets the stage for the planting to come and determines how much weeds you have, how well conditioned the soil is and what the chances are of the seed growing (which by the way, seed is expensive!!!) or the weeds from winning the horticultural war.
So how do you know when to do this? Well, you look to the skies, understand and contemplate past weather conditions, get your equipment running in good condition (note to self: BEFORE the last snowflake has melted) and hope that the weather and tractor gods will help you out.
As you can see by the pic, we waited a bit too long (due to the breakdown of ALL of our equipment and our need to purchase vintage pieces to supplement what we had)…so our uber-green pastures are now being cultivated versus tilled black earth. I think we were about 3 weeks too late. Oh well.
Now we also know that we have to do massive tilling in the fall (mulching up the fields) to prevent weed growth from taking over in the spring. Yes, like math that I did not excel at due to impatience, doing things at the right time and in the right order is key. So we have started the process of having the fields ready for seeding (to take place in the next week) and to start our first crop ever. It is exciting, it is overwhelming in work, it is empowering and it is humbling.
I take my hat off to all farmers who feed so many. Who work so hard. Who have little accolades other than the benefit of seeing the seeds that they plant, germinate and grow to fruition. You are the growers of life’s sustenance and deserve a lot of credit. Honestly, up until now I had no real idea how much work, patience and drive it takes.
Our training continues….
Working late at night making recipes…
May 21st
Can't stop working... late at night... recipes recipes recipes!
Favourite Mom Quotes Part 1
Mar 25th
“Poverty is hereditary – you get it from your children.” – Phyllis Diller
I would rather have had the ‘poor’ experience of having my children, than living in a big house with lots of “stuff” ( although I had NO idea how much room children’s toys and baby items take up!). A friend once told me that her children were her jewels and didn’t need any diamond rings…I thought that was lovely!
“If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands?” - Milton Berle
I love this quote! I have often asked my kids: “do I look like an octopus?”. But really how helpful would it be to have another hand or two – or just someone to do laundry! 
“I know how to do anything – I’m a Mom.” – Roseanne Barr
Way to go Roseanne….after giving birth naturally both times I said to a friend that I could run Microsoft as nothing is as focusing as being in excruciating pain! As a Mom it means you have to run a business (household), be a: janitor, professional chef who makes 3 meals at once, party planner, chauffeur, psycho therapist, coach, and zen yogi (so we don’t scream AHHHHH at the top of our lungs on a daily basis!).
“A suburban mother’s role is to deliver children obstetrically once, and by car for ever after” – Peter De Vries
Sad but true….it is pretty hard to be “green” when you have to drive from mall to mall just to get the basics. I feel badly driving so much but aside from riding a horse, really don’t have a choice.
“It’s not easy being a mother. If it were easy, fathers would do it.” – The Golden Girls
This made me laugh. Can you imagine if men menstruated or gave birth? There would be international conferences on the difficulties of it and university degrees dedicated to how to cope.
“If there were no schools to take the children away from home part of the time, the insane asylum would be filled with mothers.” – Edgar Watson Howe
Sometimes the thought of being in an asylum with a full-time cleaning staff and all three meals made for me seems more appealing than getting the kids ready for school in the morning.
“Any mother could perform the jobs of several air traffic controllers with ease.” – Lisa Alther
Balance is key to being the multi-tasking goddess that motherhood requires. It is like walking a tight rope over Niagara Falls while holding a bag of groceries, car keys and a gym bag while your phone is ringing and it is the kid’s school.
“Mothers of teenagers know why animals eat their young” – Unknown
This is funny. I don’t have any teens (yet) but I remember my Dad telling me when I was 14 that if he dies of a heart attack it was my fault. I was so terrible at the time. My poor parents!
“Raising a kid is part joy and part guerilla warfare.” – Ed Asner
How true is this? Try taking misbehaving kids on the subway at rush hour and really know what it is like to be in full on survival mode!
My garden project begins!
Mar 25th
So my new garden project has begun! I bought hundreds of seeds (with more to come…need tomatoes) and will be planting all flowers, eggplant, leeks, herbs and corn from seed this week. I want these babies in the ground on the first sign that winter is no where in sight.
The other veggies will be planted from seed in grow pots in mid April as most veggies have 80 days growth cycle (except lettuces). So I will already be ahead of the game when I have them pre-grown instead of seed only when warm weather arrives.
I know that tomatoes, leeks and onions require pre growth, so I am doing these early. The corn I want to start as I would love to have a few stages just to see if it works. I love eating fresh corn.
Should be interesting to see what works!
I just hope the seed packages growing instructions are right as I have no idea what I am doing.
Becoming a Farmer…
Mar 25th
I used to go to my city gyms to work out. You know the drill: you get to the super stylized locations of fitness and feel really pumped and charged. That is until you get to the change room. At this point it is a 50/50 chance of seeing a bronze Goddess with fake boobs nonchalantly and very visibly changing out of her bum-floss aerobic wear and you end up feeling like a bag of….well, you know. With the wind quickly stripped from your workout sails you get to your machine and attempt to get fit in 30 minutes or less.
Although I now belong to an excellent community oriented gym in our small town, that is more like going to a friendly English pub (as all ages hang out there), I try to get my workouts in while “working the farm”. This translates into small minuscule projects that don’t require a lot of machine operation or heavy lifting. So, I have gladly become the woodpile-girl. I happily schlep these logs to and fro to get the benefit of: an excellent workout, heat for our farmhouse (as I am a cold-a-phobe) and it keeps our front lawn free of wood chips and debris.
Martha Stewart has NOTHING on my wood stacking technique. I publicly challenge her to a wood-stacking duel.
Ann
PS: I now have to have a hot bath as my back is killing me.
Spring Break
Mar 22nd
Spring break is around the corner and it is about time! This well earned time to get away from the slush is a welcome relief! Although I am not heading to the sunny south myself, I am still taking advantage of the opportunity to take a step back and do some fun things.
Gone are my days of hoping on the bus with other university students for a prepaid trip to stay at a cheesy motel in Florida for a week long diet of fried food and bad beer. Instead, this break offers up a family visit to a friend’s cottage and day trips in the area with the kids.
I am going to also take the time to plan out the summer to make sure I maximize what the season has sun has to offer. I also want to work on a few more recipes so say tuned for some new tasty treats.
Comment and send me your stories of your spring break plans.
Winter Blah’s
Feb 22nd
I don’t know about you but the colour white, which is usually identified with lightness and serenity, now seems like pure evil to me. It is the fact that every time I look out my kitchen window IT is there. Snow, snow and more snow. I have to admit that I am getting tired of winter and have officially entered the Winter BLAHS.
The cold, the slush, the wet and musty coats, mittens, scarves, and heavy boots are getting tiresome. Going anywhere with the kids seems like a mission worthy of a GI Joe. Warm up the car, then get ready first so the kids don’t overheat, dress the kids: snowpants first, boots next, then coat and finally the requisite accessories of hat, scarf then mittens….by the end of it I am usually in a full on sweat just in time to be greeted with the frosty air. Yes, March, don’t take it personally but you are not my favourite month.
Although the month of my birthday, I recall even as a child wishing that I was the lucky one who had a summer birthday party which included a sunny picnic after running through the birthday sprinkler. My birthday’s slushy outdoor events usually ended in super-soaked snow pants and snow balls that hurt due to their icy centers.
But there is hope on the wintery horizon…April is around the corner and I look forward to all it has to offer. Rain will wash away the white and offer up green new growth with the hope of summer sun to come. Soon the Blahs will turn to Ahhs as soft breezes sweep away the cold’s last remaining residue.
In the meantime, I am stocking up on my essential fatty acids to ensure that I don’t have the emotional dips that an EFA deficient diet can cause. Salba, Mum’s Hemp are helping me on this one.
Comment and let me know your tip on getting over the wintery blahs.
The Enterprise Bulletin - January 2010 Health Page Article, Good Health Mart
Jan 2nd
January Secrets for a Healthy Year
Oh January! Even though you are bitterly cold and only offer us long dark days we gratefully welcome you! With post-holiday pocket books being the only thing that is drastically lighter, January offers us respite from December’s harried schedule, rich foods and too much eggnog. Yes, the season of excess seems like a distant, foggy and fat-filled memory and first month of the New Year provides us with a time to regroup, reflect and reassess.
With the daze of the holidays now behind us, it is a great time to look for easy ways to get your body, mind and bank account balanced once more. One simple secret to my new year’s arsenal of wellbeing is the great tasting hempseed that is a powerhouse of health.
High in the “good fats” that our bodies desperately need, hempseed’s essential fatty acids naturally offer up a great balance of Omega 3 and Omega 6. Both kinds of fatty acids serve critical roles as Omega 3 assists in neurological development and helps to reduce excess inflammation, while Omega 6 aids in blood clotting and helps to battle infection. In addition, hempseeds include an EFA called stearidonic acid (SDA), which assists in converting the Omega 3¹s from short to long chain EFA¹s making hempseeds a whole food EFA balanced cocktail.
As a naturally and highly alkaline food, hempseeds can assist in promoting greater pH balance in your body. With the North American diet so dependant upon acid forming refined and processed foods that
are high in sugar and saturated fats, consuming highly alkaline foods like hempseeds can help you to restore harmony and reduce internal inflammation brought on by an acidic environment.
With 5 grams of vegetable protein (including all of the essential amino acids) in each tasty tablespoon, any meal that incorporates hempseeds offers up a cheap alternative to the more expensive meat
based meals. As an easily digestible source of protein, with a rich nutty taste, hempseeds offer a healthy and calorie reduced option to boost protein and keep off the pounds at every meal.
Hempseeds can be incorporated into breakfast (added to cereal, yogurt and smoothies), lunch (sprinkled on salads and in sandwiches) and dinner (used in soups, pasta sauces and stews).
So with winter¹s cold upon us, hempseeds are a great way to simply and easily rebalance your body and New Year¹s pocket book! Look for recipe at end of this article.
Visit Good Health Mart today to receive 1st quality products and allow our knowledgeable product consultants to provide you with your personalized New Year¹s support program.
Any health decisions should be made in consultation with your health care practitioner.
This article was supplied by Ann Barnes, Mum (Purveyor of Good Health), Author of the natural, wellness guide “Better Being” and founder of Stealth Health Foods Inc., for Good Health Mart, 145 Hurontario Street, Collingwood 705-446-3030 www.goodhealthmart.com.
Recipe:
MANGO CHOCO-CHILI (serves 4)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cup diced white cooking onion (one medium one)
1/2 of each orange and red pepper diced (approx 1 2/3 cup total)
1 ripe mango peeled and diced (About 1 1/4 cup)
2 14 oz cans of unstrained diced tomato
(or 3 cups diced roma tomato)
1 19 oz can of rinsed black beans
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp maple syrup
2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
Pinch ground cayenne pepper
1 tbsp roasted Mum’s Original Organic hempseeds
1 tbsp Salba whole seed
Sauté onion on medium heat in olive oil until lightly browned.
Add peppers and mango.
Reduce heat and sauté until peppers sweat (approx 4 minutes).
Add tomato and beans and stir.
Add all other ingredients, reduce to low and let simmer about 10 minutes. Place into four bowls and enjoy!!!!.
Serve as a chili, or add additional 2 tbsp of nutrient rich Salba seed, mix and let sit for 2 hours and serve as a super healthy mango black bean choco-salsa.
Plant Killer
Jan 1st
I am a certifiable plant killer. I can kill anything – even a cactus. My well-intentioned friends and family have, for years, cast shame upon me as their visit revealed the dying leaves of their housewarming/birthday/ anniversary plant gifted earlier. My summer “garden” usually consists of planter boxes purchased at well known grocery store chains who package up these flowering fetes and charge an enormous fee for doing so. If it weren’t for guests who take pity on them and pick up the watering can or my kids who think it is fun, these would die as well.
Which is why many family and friends laughed when we recently moved from our downtown city sanctuary and uprooted to a 100 acre farm. “Seriously?” my friend asked. “YOU are going to plant CROPS? You will just kill those as well only on a hugely greater scale”, she said. Yes, I thought. She is right: 100 acres of dead plants is a pitiful sight and downright embarrassing. I need to reform my sad sowing ways.
So I did…well almost. Before our move from the big city, I dug up my almost dead flowers from the plastic planter boxes and replanted them in large boxes. I took my three lonely and close-to-leaving-for-the-other-side aloe plants and tucked them in together. I took my last standing plant gift basket given by dear friends and decided that I was going to give it the gift of life. My one-leaf-alive spider plant was a long shot but I brought it along with 2 vines that were on their last legs. Yes, I was going to become a waterer.
With the move, when we arrived at the farm in mid November everyone was traumatized – including the plants. Most of the plants shriveled up even more, like the Wicked Witch of the West. But unlike that nasty old witch, these plants once again required water they were not shriveling because of it. So, again I reminded myself that I had to change my plant killing ways and really do this. I made it a routine to water them every other day and to touch their leaves and prune them every week. Amazingly they popped back to life and have blossomed. My office feels full of life because of them and they have grown at least 4-fold since getting here. I feel so proud when I look at them and marvel at their tenacity. At the risk of sounding like a nut, I honestly think they are happy.
So. What next? Well, I am going to plant a veggie garden. Not any old garden either. I am going to have a project. I want to know if plants really do respond to humans and to what extent. As I have to see this for myself, I will plant 3 gardens. The first will have all of the veggies planted and I will water it very day. The second one will be exactly the same in size and veggies planted and I will water it every day AND talk to them. The third one will be the same but will have water, talking and I will make it a point to run my hand on at least one leaf per plant per day. I want to see if any of this makes a bounty difference. If it does I will have loud speakers out there next year….
Follow my plant project as found here, on my blog, under the top header: My Life.
Wish me luck!
